


Between Adrift and Standing Still

by TheReluctantBadger



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Romance, F/M, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Lighthouses, Sailing, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:20:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22021678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReluctantBadger/pseuds/TheReluctantBadger
Summary: When the monstrous Dragon Storm hits the coast-side town of Storm's End, a storm that would barr even the bravest of souls to the safety of their homes, a lone man climbs the winding steps of the ancient lighthouse to check upon it's never ending light.Caught in the eye of the Dragon Storm, amongst whipping rain and crashing waves, a lone woman prays desperately that she won't yet meet her end. Clinging for life to her prized sailboat, her prayers seem to be answered when she sees the light.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 686
Kudos: 445





	1. Dragon Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are, everyone. The one you've all been waiting for. The Lighthouse AU.
> 
> A quick, and very big thank you to everyone who's been keeping me hyped for this! You all know who you are and you have my upmost gratitude for pushing me to do this! I'm so excited for it and I'm glad that ya'll are too!

Thunder rattled against the thick window panes, loud enough to make the man’s head jerk up and nearly drop the dirty pan that he had been scrubbing. 

Storm’s End was no stranger to storms, and the lighthouse around him had been there for every single squall since it’s building. Still, this storm was promising to be one for the books. Wiping a hand on the leg of his jeans, the man reached up on the kitchen shelf and flicked on the radio before turning his eyes back to the black window in front of him. Lightning was already dancing across the horizon and flashing bright into the man’s blue eyes as the weather reporter’s voice joined the muffled sound of heavy rain.

_ “Reports have been flooding in all day of the Dragon Storm, as people are calling it, that’s currently sweeping down the coast from the North. Intense temperature clash has whipped this thing into a force to be reckoned with! It’s expected to pass quickly; but in the meantime, stay indoors and ensure that your emergency supplies are within reach. I’m looking now at readings from….” _

The man sat the clean pan on the drying rack and dried his hands yet again on his jeans before stepping out of the small kitchen and into the darkened living room. More large windows were passed. Shuttering them would be his next task. But for now, he was passing through a heavy wooden door and turning on the ancient light bulbs that illuminated the tall winding staircase.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Freeing her hands to zip up her raincoat left her vulnerable to falling, which is what yet another rough wave against the bow ensured. Arya hit the floor of the cabin hard and barely caught her head from striking. She had definitely bit her tongue, though, and spit red as she scrambled to find her footing again amidst the rocking vessel around her. 

Two weeks of sailing had gone by smoothly. Two weeks of guiding her prized  _ Direwolf  _ down the eastern coast, and of course Storm’sEnd would be giving her the trouble. She thought she was at Storm’s End at least. Her charting showed that she should be in the area, but with the storm having blown her farther along than she had planned for.

Jon’s voice screamed in her head as she tore open the cabin door. _ ‘Arya, this is murder! You can’t just sail out there on your own!’  _ She fought his voice away along with the spray of water that hit her face.

The evening was dark around her, as black as it would have been at midnight. Even the coast line that she had been following religiously had disappeared amidst the rain and waves that trashed her boat about. 

Her father’s voice jumped in as she took hold of the railing. _ ‘Whatever you do, you make me proud. But please don’t feel like you have to do this.’  _ He too was thrown out of her head as the boat collided with yet another massive wave and jolted her onto the deck.

This was it. It had to be. But why did it have to be? It shouldn’t be. She screamed outwards in her thoughts. They were desperate prayers, to the old gods, or the new, to anyone who would listen,  _ 'Please...don't let me die like this.' _

A swirl of wind turned the boat and nearly capsized it, but Arya saw it. A light. Glorious and golden in the haze, high and beautiful and calling for her. 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Heavy boots pumped quickly up the last of the stairs and soon the man was surrounded by the storm. Thick glass stood firm against the onslaught of rain, so it was the large lumen in the center that held his concern. 

The flame it held still burned as brightly as ever, causing the man to take up the welding helmet that hung on the stair rail nearby. With it placed securely on his head, he knelt to inspect the device. The oil reservoir seemed to be refilling itself correctly and wouldn’t require another shipment for at least another month. Yes, it would keep through the night. 

The man stood and turned from the light before removing the helmet and placing it back on it’s hook. Back still turned to the light, he focused now instead on the more frequent flashes of night reflecting off of the churning water below. 

All would go black, his reflection staring back at him, reminding him that he needed a haircut soon.

Then white light across the sea to burn a snapshot in his eyes before vanishing yet again and leaving his face once again in its place.

Light flashed yet again, this time towards the north. He had just enough time to dart his eyes over to the source. Just enough time to catch a glimpse….

No.

It couldn’t be.

No one was that stupid.

No one who wanted to live at least.

It couldn’t have been a boat.

He pressed his face closer against the glass, close enough that his reflection disappeared into the blackness. He tried to keep his eyes fixed on the same spot, and waited with quick breaths for the next flash.

It came. And there  _ was _ a boat. Closer than he had seen moments before.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Hazed thoughts and feelings crowded through Arya's already addled mind. At one moment she was looking at blue eyes, but then they turned into the dim glow of a lightbulb. She remembered feeling hot and freezing cold at the same time and desperately tried to move her hand to shut the port hole, but none of her muscles responded. The feeling of rough wool had rubbed against her face at some point, as did large hands across her forehead. Finally, everything faded into a gentle darkness filled with the roll of thunder and someone mumbling gentle words.

Arya couldn't say how long she had existed in that muddled state, but suddenly she was able to fully open her eyes. Pale brightness sent a sharp pain behind them and she quickly shut them, only reopening them when she had prepared herself, and even then it was slowly. The first thing she took note of was the bare whiteness of the bedroom she was in. White paint lay over wood paneling, white paint over the beams on the ceiling, and white trim work around the thick glass windows. The only color to be noted was the deep brown of the dresser that sat across the room, and in the fabric of the faded quilts that were piled on top of her. She could still hear the constant rain that had filled her ears, though the grey light that filtered through the windows was beginning to become a welcome sight.

An experimental move of her arm showed that it did, in fact, respond to commands. When the other arm moved just as well, Arya used them to push herself up from the pillow. 

The resulting pain that ran through her neck and shoulder nearly sent her back down, but she bit her lip and pushed through it to sit up straight. It wasn't until then that her mind informed her that her raincoat and pants were no longer on her person, but that she was still wearing her wet suit. She was becoming even more confused by the minute and Arya began to wonder if she hadn't died in the storm and entered some form of purgatory. 

_ The storm. Her boat. The lighthouse and rocks. _

It all raced back into her memory and plunged her into a migraine that sent her reeling back onto the pillow.

Scrunching her eyes, Arya took in some deep breaths and swallowed in a feeble attempt not to vomit. It hurt her shoulder even more, but she curled over onto her side and did her best to focus on the gentle pat of rain on glass. The focus, however, drew her mind away from the approaching footsteps in the hall, bringing from her an involuntary yell when a voice whispered, 

"Oh shit, you're awake."


	2. Wreckage

The drum of rain outside filled the void of silence left as Arya and the man stared at each other. She should have been terrified, and to a point she supposed that she was. But she was hardly in a position to do anything about it. He was tall, she observed through the haze of her migraine, and broad underneath his thick grey sweater, and his blue eyes were fixed on her in a mixture of concern and skepticism.

"Where am I?" she finally hazarded to ask when the nausea seemed to pass.

"Stag's Light." he replied, seeming to relax, but only a little. "Off the coast of Storm's End."

Stag's Light? "You mean the lighthouse?"

"Aye."

Arya closed her eyes again and swallowed. Her mouth was starting to feel dry and tangy, like she had been sucking on moldy rags. "Did I wreck?"

"Spectacularly." came his snort. "I take it you can remember who you are? Where you’re from?” Arya nodded. “Good. So what on the god's wide earth were you doing out in that storm anyways?"

She clenched her brow at his elevated tone. "Just shut up and tell me when I can set sail again."

"Well, seeing as you likely have a concussion, and that your boat is currently in pieces out on the rocks…" Arya's heart thudded deep in her chest, nearly making her gag. She should have known it would be that bad. "I'd say you'll be pushing it off again when it snows in the Summer Isles."

Fuck. Just fuck. Two weeks out and it all ends like this. 

She cracked an eye when he began speaking again, finding him with hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall. "I radioed up to the mainland. Let them know I had someone who wrecked. But the waters are too rough to get anyone out here today."

"Leave me alone." she muttered, closing her open eye and pressing her head into the pillow.

"I can tell them your name." he continued. “Contact your family."

"I said, leave me alone!" Arya yelled and hurled the pillow at him.

Big mistake.

Lights flashed behind her lids, coming in sequence with the knife that seemed to have been thrust through her skull. Arya collapsed into the mattress and wretched, though nothing seemed able to come up. Hurried footsteps receded, but soon returned, coming closer to the bed this time.

"Here." came the man's voice, lower than before, and a cool damp cloth was laid on the side of her neck. "I'll leave a trash bin here too if you need it."

Barely managing a nod left Arya with his footsteps retreating for good this time, leaving her once again to lose herself in the sound of steady rainfall. 

This wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. Sansa had spent an entire summer in Lys after her graduation, and Rob and Jon had taken the better part of a year after their own to backpack beyond the Wall. But of course it would be doomed to fail when Arya Stark leaves on her own path into the world.

Tears rolled silently down her cheeks as she pulled the faded quilts tighter around her. She raised a hand to rub at her throbbing head, and found it touching a soft gauze wrap. Why hadn't she noticed that? Was she injured elsewhere? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. Between the headache and the rain, Arya wasn't sure when exactly she had slipped back into a dream-filled sleep. Thoughts and images flitted between her family, her boat, the blue eyes of her caregiver and savior.

When consciousness found her again, the light coming through the windows was considerably dimmer. It took her more than a moment, but the words from the man about her boat came back to her and drove yet another round of tears from her eyes. Her head did feel a little clearer, though, and sitting up didn't bring on the same nausea that it had before. But the dull ache was still present.

Gently, carefully, she peeled back the quilts from over her. There was her wet-suit, torn in several places to reveal jagged wounds that had already scabbed over. But she could still move her limbs without anything more than stiffness, so for that she was thankful as she slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed.

The house around her remained quiet as she gingerly touched her feet to the floor. Even the rain outside seemed to have slowed to a gentle downpour. Looking out the windows only showed grey fog, however, so she turned instead to the dark doorway through which the man had came and went. He said that she was at the lighthouse, would that make him the keeper? She wasn't sure. She didn't even know his name, or how long she had lain in what surely must be his bed.

The short hallway outside of the room was dark, but enough light filtered through from the other end to guide her as she moved at a snail's pace along it. Another darkened doorway soon came up on her left, and she was pleasantly surprised when turning on the light switch inside revealed it to be the bathroom. The ache in her body suddenly left her longing for a hot shower, and it was the pile of clean folded clothes on the counter that had her feet pulling her into the largely outdated bathroom. 

Arya shut the door behind her, locked it, and then, for good measure, pushed a small decorative table up against it. True, the man had saved her, but she refused to take any chances. 

Antique piping rumbled softly in the walls as she turned the knobs. For a moment she doubted if anything would happen at all. But then clear water sprayed from the shower head, and it was so hot and wonderful on her outstretched hand that Arya nearly forgot to remove her wet-suit before she stepped into the tub and under the flow.

It was there that she stayed, turning and scrubbing until the water began to run cold, and even then she took her time in rinsing and relishing the moment before shutting off the knobs and pulling back the curtain.

A towel was pulled from a small hook on the wall and she didn't even care if it was meant for her before she began drying herself off. The cold air was quickly beginning to settle back under her skin, so the sweatpants from the counter were pulled up her legs. They were long, and wide in the waist, leaving her to assume that they belonged to the man, not to mention that she unfortunately had no knickers to put on under them.  _ 'No matter.' _ she thought as she rolled up the legs and cinched tight the drawstring.  _ 'Won't be around long anyways.' _

Pulling on the sweatshirt reminded Arya of the headwrap that she still wore. She had been so eager for the comfort of the shower that she had forgotten her injury, and stepping in front of the mirror showed the now soggy gauze that circled the crown of her head. There was a red spot on the side. Arya winced as she touched a finger to it.

It was just as she had finished pulling the wrapping off that a soft knock came at the bathroom door.

"Milady?" the man's muffled voice came through.

"What did you call me?" was Arya's knee-jerk response. 

"Uh…" She pulled away the table and flung open the door, finding him standing there with wide eyes. "Milady?"

"And why do you assume I'm a Lady?" Arya asked, crossing her arms. The man must not have been expecting her to have more fight than before, but that shower  _ had _ done a good deal for her outlook.

"You had your own boat." he shrugged. "Anyone with that much money must be a Lady. Or at least close enough."

Her open mouth was soon closed when he brought a hand up to touch the side of her head where the blood had been. Arya sucked in a breath at the contact and watched his fingers pull back, this time tipped with red. "We need to re-bandage this."

And there he was, no regard for her space as he shoved his way into the small bathroom beside her. Arya grunted and shoved at his shoulder. “Hey watch it!” The man paid no attention though, and hardly even budged as he bent down to rummage through the cabinet below the sink, leaving her to scowl at the mop of black hair that stuck out until he finally emerged with more gauze and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Come on." was his simple order as he turned to step back out into the dark hallway.

"Some way to treat a lady." Arya had her arms crossed by this point, but still followed him.

"M'sorry, milady." he called back. "Shall I go shovel the stables instead?"

Arya only rolled her eyes and followed the silhouette of broad shoulders down the hallway and out into a living area. They passed by a faded couch with a cluttered coffee table and a bookshelf that held a good inch and a half of dust before moving through into a kitchen. 

As opposed to the rest of the house, the kitchen was brightly lit, though still small and just as outdated as the bathroom, with a small table for two in the very middle. Arya found herself squinting as the pain behind her eye began to return, so she was quite grateful when the man pulled out a chair from the table and patted it for her to sit.

"How long was I out for?" she asked, sitting and allowing her eyes to slip closed as his fingers began gently pulling back her hair.

"A night and a day." His voice came just beside her ear, making the skin there tingle at the proximity. She felt his eyes on the side of her head as his fingertips touched around the edge of her wound. "Wouldn't have gotten to you at all if I didn't happen seen your boat out there."

Arya felt her chest tighten a little. "I guess I should thank you." She let out a small breath. "For saving me."

"Wasn't anything." he said a little softer, and she felt him move away. "Everything on this rock is my responsibility, including you."

A small smile crept to her lips. Why did that make her feel good inside? She didn't even know this man's name, nor he hers. But so far he had done nothing but tend to her, even though his attitude did seem a bit rough.

"So you're the keeper here…" she let her words trail off.

"Gendry." She heard a soft pop behind her and soon smelled the rubbing alcohol. "And aye, I am. Bit of a sting."

She clenched her fists at the warning, and the cloth pressed below the wound had her hissing before he even began pouring the alcohol over it. But even in that he was careful and quickly dabbed at the wound before pressing the clean gauze over it. Then it was wrapped, tight, but just snug enough to hold in place.

"There you go." he finally said, and she allowed her eyes to slowly open. The pain was still there, and the same dizziness from before was returning, but it didn't seem too bad sitting there. 

Gendry moved around her, putting the gauze and alcohol in a cabinet before opening another and scanning its contents. "Could you eat something? Soup?"

Arya hummed and nodded slowly. "I'll try."

His hand retrieved a can from the cabinet and, before long, it had been poured into a pot on the stove to warm. 

“Would you be more inclined to tell me your name now?”

His words pulled her attention away from where she had been examining the faded wallpaper, turning to find Gendry leaning against the sink. She couldn’t help her eyes from being drawn downwards to where he had pushed up the sleeves of his sweater, bare forearms now crossed lazily over his chest.

“Arya. Arya Stark.”

Bringing her eyes back up to his face let her see the realization that was inevitable to dawn at the mention of her House. “So you’re from up North then?” He asked when it did.

“I am,” she said simply. “But I won’t be returning there.”

“Oh?”

“No. I’m going back out on the water.”

Gendry raised a hand to rub across his forehead. “You’re ship’s in pieces on those rocks.”

“I’ll get another.” She was determined.

“I can’t just...let you go back out!” He was getting angry, she could tell. But so was she.

“So you’re holding me hostage then?”

“No! Not at all! Just…why do you want to be out there so badly.”

“Because it’s what I decided to do,” She grit her teeth. “And I told myself that I’d never let someone talk me out of it, let alone a guy I’ve only just met.”

Gendry huffed and turned to drag a spoon through the soup in the pan. “You’re right, I don’t know you, and don’t know what you have to prove by being out there alone like that, but...maybe this is all for the best.”

Arya stared hard at his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well then maybe there’s a reason why you wrecked.” he spun around to look at her, blue eyes cutting into her greys. “Maybe it’s a sign that you’re not meant to be out alone.”

She didn’t care how dizzy it made her when she stood up. All that she cared about was making sure to get back to the bedroom and slamming the door as hard as she could behind her.

  
  


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The first time she awoke in the darkened bedroom, Arya turned over to see that a tray had been left on the dresser. The soft glow of the tall light through the window illuminated her way towards it. A lukewarm bowl of potato soup sat waiting, as did a slice of bread and a cup of water. She hazarded a nibble at the bread, but a second and much larger bite was soon to follow as her body suddenly began to beg for the nourishment. Before the minute had passed, she had moved the tray over to the bed to eagerly spoon the soup into her mouth as she stared off into the grey darkness.

Arya’s sleep was fitful for the rest of the night; and she couldn’t be sure whether or not it was because she had slept for nearly two whole days already, or because of the circumstances she now found herself in. Every hour or so she would wake to stare blankly at the rain spattered window. Then, with the wandering of her thoughts, the tears would inevitably come, and she would sob quietly until once again she was empty and able to fall back into the uneasy dormancy.

Finally, one of her wakings found the room to be lighter than before, and with the stillness of the room it was evident that the seemingly endless rain had finally ceased.

Having spent the better part of her time there in that same room left Arya with no want to remain in the bed, so slowly she removed herself from it and moved out into the hallway. The restroom was visited, and then she continued into the small living area that she had passed through the evening before.

It was empty, and dim from the pale light outside, which sat just fine with her. She still had no more words for Gendry, no matter the kind feelings she had felt for him the evening before. Evidently she was wrong. Her thoughts in the wakeful night had led her to the decision that she would simply order him to arrange her transport to the mainland. From there she would simply use a phone and access her bank account to transfer some money. Then she could procure transport elsewhere, preferably somewhere with less rain.

In passing she noted the folded blanket and pillow that sat on the floor beside the couch, evidence of where her host had slept. She still didn’t see him as she moved through to the kitchen. Arya had seen a small coffee pot the evening before, and she definitely hoped that there was coffee to go with it.

The kitchen was just as lifeless as the rest of the house. No sign of Gendry save for the plate of crumbs that sat in the sink. She almost expected him to appear as she began opening the cabinets, the morning light from the window illuminating a can of the cheapest brand of coffee grounds. She could not have cared less, and they were soon deposited into the top of the coffee maker that looked to be as old as the rest of the appliances in the kitchen. The smell that radiated from the upwards almost made the gloomy atmosphere a little brighter. Taking the small glass pot, Arya moved sideways to fill it at the sink, absentmindedly looking out the window as she did. Her eyes fell to the deep green of the grass that seemed to surround the house, and then outward to the rocks that piled out between the grass and the choppy waves. That’s where her gaze stopped. Because there was Gendry with a long rope in hand, it’s other end tied to...

The coffee was forgotten. Arya had barely even shut off the faucet before she was running back through the living room and out the front door. No care was given for a coat, or for shoes, which only barely affected her as she sprinted across the muddy grass and out towards where Gendry was occupied. Wind stung her bare skin and tears stung at her eyes. 

There was her boat, her _ Direwolf _ , with a large hole in its hull from where the waves had thrown atop the rocks that now held it in place. The sails were long gone, as was most of the rigging, and the mast had been snapped down to less than half its original height.

Her feet were numb by the time she reached Gendry, who must have heard the wet patting of them because he spun around with wide eyes. She should have known that he would try to stop her, that he would catch her and prevent her from racing out onto the slippery rocks to reach her only true possession. But the tears that blurred her eyes marred her thoughts as well, and within seconds she was being pulled backwards against a firm chest, two thick arms wrapping around her chest as she thrashed her legs and screamed against the sharp wind. Gendry held her fast, though, even when her strength left her and her limbs hung limply. Sobs hitched in her chest. This was real. It was all real. Her first chance at complete freedom was no more. 

Soon Gendry’s arms loosened around her, though she felt herself being lowered downwards until she was sitting on his lap. His hand came to her hair as she continued to cry, but it did nothing to turn her away from where her face was set to the wreckage in front of them. 

“I’m sorry.” he finally said, not softly but low enough that it wasn’t harsh. Arya could only nod as she leaned back against the warm, firm brace that his body provided. “Let’s get you back in and I’ll pull it up as best as I can. Into my shop, yeah? Then we can see if anything of yours is left inside.” Again, she nodded.

It felt as though it took nothing for him to stand the two of them up. He urged her to wrap an arm around his torso, while he kept his secure around her shoulders. Briefly the thought passed through her mind hat this was the closest she had ever been to a male who wasn’t family. But her head was beginning to throb again, and the frigid sea air was cutting through the oversized sweatshirt, so she held onto him tightly and pressed the side of her face against the soft knit of his sweater, focusing on taking firm steps as he turned them away from the rocks and towards the building. 

He placed Arya on the couch in the living room and picked up his blanket from the floor to drape over her, and that’s where she stayed. She truly felt numb now, even more so than she had been the evening before. This was where her happiness would end. Even when she heard another voice join with Gendry’s outside, she only peeked through the curtains of the large bay window, finding a much older gentleman conversing with the younger. At one point Gendry gestured up towards the house, and the other man turned his face towards it with a mixture of concern and curiosity. 

But then the two turned towards her ship, and she had to pull away before she cried again, planting herself on the couch to stare at the walls around her and looking for anything that would distract her mind. There wasn’t much, she found: an old wooden clock, an old painting of some shells, and an old TV that looked as though it aired the Blackfyre Rebellion. From all appearances, Gendry was the youngest thing that resided here.

When he finally returned indoors, Arya had since moved back into the bedroom, yielding herself to sit under the quilts and watch the rough sea past the window. Turning her head to meet his eyes granted her a nod and a half smile, seemingly content that he had found her there.

“It’s in the shop now.” he informed, jerking his arm behind him.

“Thanks.” she said quietly. “Sorry I ran out there like that.”

“No, don’t be.” And Arya had no doubt that he meant it. “Looks as though there’s a few things left inside, but I’ll leave it for you to sort through, when you’re up to it.”

She thanked him yet again, and was about to ask about the other man that she had seen, but by then Gendry had stepped into the bedroom and turned to the dresser. Any other questions where thrown out at the sight of Gendry’s ass. The rear of his jeans were caked in dried mud, obviously left from where he had sat with her on the wet ground. He must have been freezing in that wind, yet staying out there to bring her boat in. She said nothing, her mind working to process the sacrifices that he was already making on account of her, while she watched him gather a few clothing items from the drawers and step towards the door.

“What will you do with my boat?” she found herself asking, stopping his steps to turn back to her.

Gendry shrugged and looked at the floor. “Mess around with it in my free time, most likely. See what I can do with it.”

Arya swallowed and sat up a little straighter. “Do you think you could fix it?”

“Suppose I could try and…..” Gendry’s eyes got wide, slowly coming up to look at her. “No. No, Arya.”


	3. Grey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very huge thanks to snapdragon76 for helping me fine-tune this chapter...and for listening to all of my insecurities!

“No means no, Arya. Didn't anyone ever teach you that?”

“I’m not attacking you, Gendry!” Arya huffed, head thrown back and shoulders slumped. “I’m asking you to fix my boat.”

“Which I’m not going to do.” He still had yet to turn around, leaving Arya to scowl at his mud caked ass as she followed him through into the living room.

“And why is that?”

Gendry grit his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. “How about some pasta for lunch? Would you like some pasta, milady?”

Huffing at his passive aggressive tone, Arya simply followed with crossed arms as he turned to move into the kitchen. Muted light still shone in through the window, becoming a background color as Gendry switched on the bright overhead light. “You’re not just going to change the subject like that.” she stated, leaning against the wall to watch him open up the small pantry.

“I’m not changing the subject. I’m ending it.”

“Why can’t you just fix my boat? I’ll sail away and you won’t have to worry about me again.”

Gendry slammed a large can of Noodle Os onto the counter before turning back to face her, blue eyes cutting deep. "Look, Arya, that man who was out there earlier?" Gendry pointed a firm finger towards the window. "That was my boss, Davos. As soon as the current dies down, and as soon as that hole in your head is healed," The finger was turned towards her bandage. "he'll be back to get you. Besides, I told you, everything here is my responsibility. How bad would that make me look if you sailed off again and ended up dead on a beach somewhere?”

“Just because I wrecked once doesn’t mean that I will again!”

"And how do you know that? Hmm?" he turned his back to her and began opening the pull tab on the can. "Do you have some deal with the gods?"

"No, but…" Arya quickly pushed herself off of the wall, finding out immediately that it was a bad idea. Her vision began to swirl in front of her eyes, causing her to grab the door frame with one hand and her head with the other. 

She heard Gendry give a small irritated groan before feeling his hand grabbing her elbow, leading her over to the table. "Thanks." she mumbled as he gently pushed her into a chair.

"Just...just drop it for now, ok?" he asked, the distance in his voice telling that he had returned to the stove. "You're not going anywhere until you're healed anyways."

Tears started stinging at her eyes, but Arya swallowed the lump in her throat that came with them and nodded. She suddenly felt like she was back at home and arguing with her mother.

The two let silence fill the space between them, Gendry stirring at the pot of canned pasta and Arya breathing softly until she felt her balance slowly coming back. Still, it wasn't until she heard the soft tap on the table in front of her that she opened her eyes to find a bowl sitting in front of her, filled with the ring shaped noodles that swam in tomato sauce.

"And this is what you consider pasta?" she asked, a small laugh in her voice.

Gendry dropped himself into the seat across from hers, an identically filled bowl in his hands. "What of it?" he asked boldly. "It's quick and easy."

"It's bachelor food." she laughed again, looking up to find narrowed eyes scowling at her.

"Suppose it fits then." he shrugged through a mouthful of food.

Arya grabbed her own spoon and dipped it down into the bowl. A small taste was brought to her mouth, testing her stomach's constitution before she risked taking in any more. It may have been her second meal in a row from a can, but her starved stomach was instantly thankful and a second spoonful followed the first.

"So," she spoke again after swallowing, "you really do live here alone?"

Gendry nodded and grabbed at a napkin to wipe his chin. "Just me and the light."

Arya nodded gently and took another bite. He had so much resolve in his voice over the fact, as though he knew that this was who he was and he was confident in it. "What about your boss? What was his name?"

"Davos." Gendry took another bite and quickly swallowed. "He only comes out once a month for supplies, but there's a two-way radio incase I need anything else."

"Sounds pretty lonely." 

"Yeah, well so does dying on a boat at sea." he rebutted.

"Gendry," she half yelled, dropping her spoon into the bowl and ignoring the sharp pain that came to her head. "I don't know what you have against my choices. But I don't know you, and you don't know me; and I'm not going to change my mind just because of your sour opinions."

She could have sworn that he growled, and he look on his face surely indicated it before he turned back to his bowl. They spoke no more after that and finished eating until the soft slurps turned into scrapes of their spoons against the porcelain bowls. Before Arya could do more, Gendry had stood from his chair and stepped around the table to take her bowl, placing it into the sink alongside hers.

"How's your head?" he finally spoke.

"Fine." she turned her head to look at his crossed arms.

"Good. I'll find you some boots and take you to the shop."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The rain was still coming down in a soft sprinkle when the two stepped out the front door. Arya found herself hugging the sweatshirt closer to her body as she followed Gendry out. She was used to the cold, that was for sure. But the cold in the North was dry and stiff. The cold of the Stormlands was wet and sharp, and seemed to seep into your skin as easily as it seeped into the ground below. 

Gendry gave no care for it, though, and even kept the sleeves of his sweater rolled up to his elbows as he trudged along, leading Arya around the side of the small house to circle the large tower of the lighthouse. It was the first time that Arya had cared to look at it up close. It was definitely old, made of large stone blocks and covered in white paint that was more chipped than intact. The tower seemed sturdy, though, and even boasted a large bronze plaque that Arya paused to read.

_ Stag's Light _

_ Est. 1875 A.C. _

_ Recognized as a structure of historical and cultural importance by His Majesty's Society for Historical Preservation _

Arya quickened her steps to catch up with Gendry, who had now disappeared around the circle of the tower. "This place is a historical sight?"

"Yeah." Gendry grumbled without turning his head. "Which is why they won't update a damn thing about it. The old girl still runs on kerosene."

Arya craned her neck to look upwards. The light that shone from the top was barely visible from her position, only a white glow on the misting rain with every pass it made. It had shone for so long, had saved so many, including her.  _ 'But Gendry saved me too.'  _ She looked back down to the back of his head. He truly had saved her life, even though he now seemed bent on seeing her off to shore as soon as she was able.  _ 'Doesn't matter.' _ she shook the thought away.  _ 'He's no better than my family. They've probably written me off already.' _

Mud and water squished under her boots as the shop came in site. It looked to be the same size as the house where Gendry lived, though the front held a large garage door. But, though the cinder blocks that formed it were bare and worn, it looked sturdy and firm; as sturdy as the lighthouse, as sturdy as the house that had sheltered her, as sturdy as Gendry's shoulders as he grabbed the bottom of the door and pulled it upwards.

And there it was. Her Direwolf.

It would have never fit inside the shop had it been whole. But with the mast broken into a pathetic stub, it easily sat in the center of the workspace. Arya hugged her arms around her tighter as she moved closer to the building. Gendry had tried to prop it up with lifts, but the large gap in the hull still made it lean to the side.

Suddenly, all hopes of Gendry being able to mend her prized possession left her heart, leaving a dull ache in its place. Arya nearly began to cry, but she bit the inside of her lip and pushed the tears back. No, he had no care for what she wanted, so she wouldn't give him any satisfaction from it. Instead, she unwrapped her arms and stepped inside of the building. 

Looking inside of the hole granted a view of the small waterlogged cabin. Her small cot was still soaked in sea water, as was the cabinets that were now thrown open to show how empty they were. But Gendry had been right, there were still two small duffle bags that had managed to stay snagged under the cot long enough to survive, and she carefully reached in to pull them out. They were soaked, and Arya immediately dropped them to the floor with a wet splat.

There they sat at her feet. She already knew what they contained: one of them would hold some jeans and shirts that she hadn’t wanted to ruin on deck, while the other would only hold emergency supplies that would surely be ruined. 

“It’ll take a while to do a proper fix on the hull.” His words tore her eyes away from her scant belongings to where he had moved by his workbench. “Even longer for the mast.”

“What?” she could only ask, the tears that had been threatening to fall finally dropping down her cheeks.

"You probably won't want to stick around for that long, but I can give it a go." He had yet to even look over at her as he moved around to the opposite side with his tape measure.

It took no thought at all for Arya to step around to where Gendry stood and wrap her arms around his waist. She felt him freeze against her, but it didn't matter because he may as well have told her that he was granting her another chance at life. To her that's what it felt like at least, so she held onto him tight enough that she could hear his heart drumming underneath his thick sweater.

Gendry, on the other hand, made no move to place his arms around her and repeatedly cleared his throat before finally dropping a hand to pat her head awkwardly. "I can...uh...show you where the washing machine is." he finally spoke up.

Arya nodded against him. "Thank you."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

It was nearly evening by the time Arya moved her clothes into the small dryer. After three rounds of washing, she was finally convinced that they would be as clean as possible. She turned the dryer on and stepped out of the small room that sat off of the kitchen. 

Gendry was right where she had left him, sitting at the kitchen table with a large ledger laid out in front of him and reading glasses perched on his nose. He had been engrossed in the book ever since they had returned to the house, refusing to make any contact with her and instead making little notes here and there in the records. It bothered her none, though, and she moved to walk past him and into the living room. If he wanted to be withdrawn and quiet then so would she.

So it truly did surprise her when he spoke up, stopping her steps at the doorway. "Look, I'm sorry what I said about earlier, about dying alone and all that. You don't deserve that. No one does."

"It's alright." she replied, turning back around to find him still looking down at his ledger. "I'd have probably said the same thing."

Gendry gave a snorting chuckle at that, he looked up to reveal small dimples on his cheeks that she didn't know existed. "Look at us," he laughed. "the two people who want to be alone the most in the world, and now we can't even get away from each other."

Despite his warm smile, Arya gave a half frown and stepped around the table to the other chair. “Why do you think that you should be alone?”

“Some people are meant to be alone.” he shrugged, taking off his glasses and laying them on the table.

“People like you.”

“People like me.”

“If you get to be alone then why are you so against it for me?”

Gendry looked her in the eyes at that. “You don’t deserve that. Trust me.”

Grey seemed to be the primary color on that island. A grey sky stretched over grey waves. Grey rocks lay below, with a grey shore laying further out in the distance. Even the rain seemed grey as it spattered against the glass with every gust of wind. 

But when Arya returned his gaze, she saw blue. Deep blue eyes looked at her in a way that made the world's lack of color seem trivial.

And it felt so strange to her. No one had ever turned their eyes to her with that look. Plenty had gazed at Sansa with star-filled eyes, and heavens knew that Robb and Jon had their fair share of admirers, but not Arya. Never her. 

But yet here was Gendry, smiling at her softly as he closed up his ledger and stood from the table. "Care for some coffee and cookies?"

"Absolutely." she smiled back.


	4. Dust

The dripping of the coffee pot seemed to match perfectly with the soft drops of rain outside of the kitchen window. Arya stifled a small yawn and leaned against the counter, letting her mind continue to wake up with the rest of her body, absently staring at the dark brown liquid as it slowly filled the glass pitcher.

She oddly felt good this morning, better even than she had in a long while. A part of her wondered if it was just from the familiar feel of finally wearing her own clothes again, or if it was at the prospect of regaining her boat and her freedom. Whatever the cause, warmth sat in her chest as the last of the coffee trickled out of the small machine.

She hadn't turned on the kitchen light, the grey morning filling the kitchen enough for her to find her way around. Two steps to the side brought her to the cupboard that held the mugs and glasses. Same as everything else, Arya had since found them to be leftover from long ago times. Her hand landed on one in the middle of the mismatched row, and pulling it out showed a blue chipped mug with a cartoon elephant attempting to type at a computer. A small smile was all that she could manage before another yawn snuck up on her and pulled her mouth wide open. After that she wasted no more time in filling the mug with coffee.

It was as she was digging through the cabinets for the sugar that she heard the front door open and close, followed then by heavy boot-steps making their way into the dark living room.

"So you like to lurk in the shadows?" Gendry's voice teased right as the overhead light clicked on, causing Arya to squint at the sudden brightness.

"Maybe." she replied, turning back to what was honestly a now easier job of cabinet hunting. "Where do you keep the sugar?"

"What for?" he asked behind her as the faucet turned on. 

Arya turned to the next cabinet, glancing over to find him roughly scrubbing what appeared to be black grease off of his hands. "For my coffee."

"Of course a woman would want sugar in her coffee." he snorted. Arya arched an eyebrow and glanced over to him. "I expect you'll be wanting hazelnut creamer in it too."

"And what if I do?"

Gendry laughed again as he rinsed the thick soap lather off, but then he shrugged. "Then that's fine I guess. Can have your coffee however." He turned then to grab the dishcloth that hung over the oven door, drying his hands as he turned back to her. "Just as long as you don't fault me for taking mine black."

"Never." Arya grinned, earning her a grin back. "Doing some early morning work I guess?"

"Yeah." he nodded and turned to the pantry. "Bit of an early riser, so I like to make the most of it. Always something that needs doing around here." 

Arya leaned against the counter. “Then what do I need to be doing.”

Gendry’s hand stopped momentarily as he reached into the cabinet, followed by a snorted chuckle. “You won’t be doing anything until you’re well.”

“I feel well enough. I can help out.” Arya frowned, even though Gendry pulled out a small glass jar of sugar and sat it beside her cooling mug of coffee. 

“Oh, I’m sure you do. But we’re not taking any chances.” The sternness of his voice made Arya sigh and slump her shoulders.

“Gendry, you’re letting me stay here while you fix my boat. You’ve gotta let me do something in return!”

One of his hands came up to rake through his hair. He didn’t reply, but opened the cupboard and pulled out a coffee mug for himself. The one he pulled out looked almost Christmasy with bright red flowers and was soon filled with the hot beverage. “You wanna do something? Fine,” he finally said. “do something in the house then.”

“Like what?” she asked flatly.

The hand in his hair flew upwards before dropping down to thump against his side. “I don’t know! Wipe down the bathroom or something! Mop the floors!”

Arya crossed her arms. “So maid work.” 

It wasn’t necessary, and she knew it. She had already gotten her answer. But the frustrated scowl that creased his face was well worth it, and Arya smirked as Gendry whipped around and skulked over to the refrigerator. The soft hum of it’s interior grew louder as Gendry opened its door and bent over to look inside. Before she knew it, he was roughly setting down a quart of milk beside the coffee and sugar. “Just...just do whatever you want.” he half growled. “It’s your house for now anyways.”

  
  


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In all honesty, Arya rarely ever took more than a small scoop of sugar in her coffee. But she didn’t hesitate in putting a splash of the offered milk into her mug as Gendry took his black coffee and retreated back out into the cold damp morning. She hardly ever ate breakfast, and by the customary plate of crumbs in the sink she figured that he must have already had his. The distinct taste of rich coffee landed on her tongue as she pulled the first sip into her mouth, and she felt her mood lighten even more than it already was. Again, maybe it was the new prospect for her future, or the normalsy that was returning to her routine, but Arya smiled to herself at the thought that she could consider this as just another page in her great adventure. Who’s to say that she wouldn’t look back on this some day as a crazy tale that she can recount with fondness, of how her boat wrecked and she had to stay for a time with a reclusive lighthouse keeper who fixed her boat?

Carefully taking the mug in hand, Arya moved from the kitchen and into the dark living room. Too dark for her liking anymore. She left the still steaming mug on the coffee table beside a hardcover book, scooting aside old water glasses and coffee stained papers, and shuffled around the couch where thick curtains hung over the front windows. A tug at one of them sent a small rain of dust particles flying against the sliver of light that came through the crack. Another tug pulled the curtain the rest of the way open, flooding the small space with a refreshing brightness. It didn’t take long for Arya to move to the other side and do the same with the second half of the curtains, and she then found herself turning around to gaze over the living room with new eyes. 

Had the walls always been that shade of bluish green? It was nice. Very fitting, even if the rest of the decor seemed to only barely agree with it. The wooden clock on the wall ticked with the morning minutes and the elderly television reflected the new light back up at her. But still, it all seemed to go together somehow, as though they were all characters who had been together for so long that separating them would just seem inappropriate. Picking her mug back up, Arya took another slow sip as she turned to scan the rest of the room. 

The large bookshelf on the far wall looked no better than the rest of the furnishings. Book spines of every genre and age stood lined up in tightly packed rows. There were spy novels, biographies, DIY manuals, histories, and even a couple for teens and children. Some of the shelves contained a thin layer of dust, as though they hadn’t been accessed in some time, but others seemed to have been recently removed and replaced. The whole area really did have some charm, Arya thought to herself. It just...hadn’t been seen to in a good while. And it was with that thought that Arya took her mug back into the kitchen, only to return with a rag and the bottle of cleaning spray that she had found under the sink. 

Her mother had always scolded her for being a messy child. Even long into her teenage years she had found herself being berated for the clutter that she kept. While that may have been true for her own room, Arya had never thought of herself as “messy”, only “cluttered”. She truly did like to clean, only so long as the space she was cleaning was not solely her own. The large bare windows were the first to see her treatment, and she made quick work of pushing the brown leather couch away from them before soaking them in the cleaning solution. The rag was wiped over them and the action then repeated until the dust and grime had been removed and Arya could look through to a clear view of the grass and waves outside.

She smiled to herself. Sure, she felt just a little dizzy at all of the movement, but it was an accomplishment, and she wanted to do more. Once the window was to her liking, the couch was moved back into its place and the coffee table was set upon. She let her eyes scan over each paper as she picked it up. Those that were clearly unneeded were placed into one pile to be tossed, while those that seemed of some importance were left on the kitchen table for Gendry to look over later. Before she stood, though, her eyes drifted over to the book that was left sitting on the corner.  _ When Winter Walked: Diving into the mythos of the fabled Long Night _ read the cover in dark script. So he liked to read history then, she observed, taking quick note of the bookmark that held its place halfway through the thick book.

All of the dishes were brought to the kitchen where she then set about washing them. The thought of her mother seeing her at work made Arya snort through her nose. She probably still thought that her daughter was off on some exotic shore somewhere, engaging in countless illicit activities. What would she think if she knew that Arya Stark, the wayward daughter, was held up in a lighthouse playing at housewife.

Housewife.

The word crossing her mind made Arya pause at her scrubbing of Gendry’s breakfast plate. But she quickly shook away any encroaching thoughts and turned on the cool water to rinse the dish. Surely he could never think of her as a wife. No one else ever had, so why should he? Besides, she had only known him for three days now, and he seemed very adamant in maintaining his seclusion after she was able to leave.

But as she set the disk onto the small drying rack and picked up another, she couldn’t help but to think back to how softly he had looked at her the evening prior. Gendry was gruff, and easily annoyed, but he was also thoughtful. Even the way that his arms had wrapped around her when she had tried to run to her boat had been careful and safe. Before she knew it, she was absently washing the cups that floated in the soapy water while her mind pondered at the thought of his chest firm against her back and his strong arms sliding around her waist. She would reach back to place a hand on the back of his head and guide him down to where his stubbled chin would scratch ever so softly on her neck…

No. She dropped the last glass heavily into the drying rack. Again, she told herself, no one else had ever wanted that with her, so why should he?

Her eyes had started to sting, but she scrunched her face and willed all of the thoughts away. After drying her hands, Arya stepped back into the living room. Already it felt as though the clouded sunlight was doing a world of good on the space. There was definitely more that could be done, but a look up at the clock on the wall said that it was nearly lunchtime. So, she moved back into the kitchen once more to open the pantry and peruse the options. She found several different kinds of canned soup, a few boxes of mac and cheese, a box of potato flakes, and a small assortment of canned meats and fish. None of it stood out to her stomach, so she moved instead over to the refrigerator. It fared no better, only holding the quart of milk, various condiments, some cheap lunchmeat, and half of a jar of pickles. The freezer on top was only slightly more promising with a stack of frozen meals and a few empty trays for ice.

Within moments Arya was slipping on the boots that Gendry had found for her. She nearly rolled her eyes at his remembered words from earlier. There was nothing that he could do from keeping her inside the small house day in and day out.

The sharp wind hit Arya’s face the moment she opened the door. For a moment it felt as though it too was urging her to stay indoors, but she persisted. Even though the rain had ceased during her cleaning stretch, the spray from the waves against the rocks blew almost endlessly in her direction.

It took only a squint of the eyes and a head turn to tell that Gendry was not outdoors, at least no where out where she could see. Her next option was the workshop where her ship was safely tucked away. But opening up the door and peering inside showed that her ship sat alone in the damp darkness. Arya quirked her mouth as she turned back towards the house and the tall tower that sat beside it. He certainly hadn’t come inside; she would have heard it. That meant that there was only one other place… Arya quickened her steps as she circled around the lighthouse. Soon enough, she came around to a metal door in its side.

  
  


The doorknob almost seemed to stick a little as she turned it, but it gave way easily enough and Arya pulled it open.

The air inside felt like cold steel. Not like the wind that blew the sea and the rain against her. No, this air was a still cold, as though even the coolness was protected from the elements. It was dark inside too, and Arya had to let her eyes adjust for a moment before she could see the bottom of a winding staircase. Almost automatically her head turned upwards to follow it until it stopped at a high ceiling. Without thought, she stepped over and began to climb the stairs. They felt sturdy underneath her and hardly ever creaked, so Arya found it easy to climb them as quickly as her legs would carry. Around and around they took her, curving up along the circular walls, and before she knew it she was stepping out onto the first landing. 

It was the first because Arya immediately spotted light flooding through another opening where a few more steps lead up to what must be the great light. She smiled and began to move towards it, thrilled by the thought of seeing the world from up so high. And it was because of this that she didn’t see the brass mechanisms that moved around her, nor did she see the form who stood working in the shadows until suddenly she was being grabbed from behind and jerked away from the bright opening.

“Hey!” she yelled, kicking and flailing out of reflex.

“You can’t go up there!” Gendry yelled, continuing to pull her away before setting her down, facing away from the light.

“Why not?” she yelled back. “And what is it with you and grabbing be from behind anyways?” She twisted away from him and turned to scowl at Gendry, finding him not much more than a silhouette against the light.

“Maybe if you’d quit going head first into danger then I wouldn’t have to.” he replied gruffly.

Arya opened her mouth to reply, something snarky about how maybe it was just him who was scared, but Gendry quickly turned to walk over to a short row of hooks along one of the walls. Arya stepped closer and saw that most of them held a small variety of welding masks and goggles. He seemed to scan over them before reaching out and taking a small pair of goggles. Before Arya could protest, he was already placing the dark tinted glass over her eyes and buckling the strap behind her head. She found herself strangely unwilling to move, focusing on his large hands as they adjusted the goggles so that they set comfortably over her face. 

Now it was truly dark. She could hardly even see Gendry’s shadow, save for some movement that she assumed was him taking some protection for himself. But then his hand was grabbing her wrist, and it was so warm and strong, and her breath caught as he pulled her gently over towards the glow of the light.

Her hands easily found the steps as he led the way, moving herself upwards until suddenly she was looking into what was surely a blinding light.

“Here it is.” he announced flatly. “Don’t ever come up here without eye protection or she’ll blind you.”

Arya heard his words, but kept her eyes focused to the powerful flame that burned within the glass casing. In a slow steady circle it moved, never stopping or slowing, giving its light all four corners of the world. It seemed so hypnotic.

“Did you have a reason for coming up here?” Gendry asked, standing behind her now. “Or were you just wanting to spy on me?” He added the last part with almost a playful tone.

“As a matter of fact, I did have a reason.” She turned around to face him. “I was going to fix lunch. Wasn’t sure what you’d want.”

As the light spun around to shine on him, Arya faintly saw Gendry shrug. “Whatever you want, I guess.”

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Well it doesn’t matter to me either. I’m not picky.”

“Neither am I.” she half laughed.

Gendry paused, and she saw the shape of his head crook slightly. “Come on.” he finally said after a few seconds. “We’ll find something.”

Arya wanted very much to believe that she heard a smile in his voice as he said it, and she definitely had a smile on her own face when his hand rested on her shoulder to help lead her back over to the steps. 


	5. Close

“Is sweird.” Gendry mumbled out through a mouth full of potatoes.

Arya squinted her eyes from across the table. “What’s weird?”

She watched as Gendry craned his head to look over into the living room. “All the light in there now.” he said after he had swallowed.

“You don’t like it?” Arya challenged.

“Didn’t say that.” he frowned, turning back down to his tray and stabbing the fried steak with his fork. “Just...different.”

“And weird.” she rolled her eyes.

The stash of frozen meals had shown to be a very eclectic selection. While Arya’s tray held battered fish and rice, Gendry’s held fried steak with mashed potatoes, and half an hour in the small oven had heated them while Gendry slowly walked around the bright living room with his hands deep in his pockets. He had returned to the kitchen after that to look at the pile of papers that she had left for him. After skimming through them, only two were kept while the rest were tossed.

“Are you...gonna do more?” he asked before spearing the entire steak on his fork and taking a large barbaric bite from it.

She cocked an eyebrow in return, keeping her gaze on him until she had chewed and swallowed. “Perhaps. Those bookshelves could use a good dusting."

Gendry nodded in agreement and continued to tear into his steak. 

"What were you doing up in the lighthouse?" Arya immediately asked. It was beginning to dawn on her how this was one of the first real conversations between them that wasn't spiraling into an argument.

He gave a half shrug and kept his eyes on his tray. "One of the joining rods in the turning mechanism is cracked. Trying to get it loosened so it can be replaced."

"You really do a lot for this place." she observed. "Looks like it keeps you pretty busy."

"I kinda have to." he chuckled, and she couldn't quite believe her ears. Gendry actually chuckled? It was possible? "Just me out here."

"So is this what you always wanted to do with your life? Man a lighthouse?"

He shrugged yet again, defaulting back to surly Gendry and scraping the last bit of potatoes from his tray. "Davos gave me the opportunity and I took it."

"I bet your family misses you."

His shaking head drew all of her attention. She had to wait, though, until he had finished the bite of steak that had been immediately shoved into his mouth. Waiting, she brought in a fork full of rice and watched his eyes that were glued to the table.

"No family. Just Davos and his wife."

"M'sorry." she replied softly. 

"Don't be." Another shake of his head. "Mum passed a while back, and I never knew my dad, so there isn't much to miss."

Arya quirked her mouth. She really wasn't sure how to follow that. No one very close to her had ever died. 

She soon found that she need not bother with a reply anyways, because Gendry shoved the rest of his steak into his mouth and stood from the table. His tray was dumped unceremoniously into the trash bin and his fork thrown into the sink. Reaching out to take a drink of water from the faded plastic cup, Arya listened to his footsteps marching deliberately to the door.

"Thanks." he surprised her by saying, and she turned around to see him still standing in the kitchen doorway. "For….this." He gestured to the table. "I usually forget to eat lunch. So...yeah...thanks."

"Of course." she said with a small smile, to which he grunted softly before quickly making his way back outside.

  
  


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Arya silently mourned the loss of her Bluetooth speaker as she fiddled with the bulky knobs on the kitchen radio. True, her own speaker may have been waterproof and buoyant, but that hardly meant a thing when it was being tossed away from the boat by a massive storm. It was pointless to dwell on it, though, so she made herself content with a classic rock station before returning to the living room.

The cleaning solution was sprayed onto a clean rag and the dusting began. She settled on the bookshelf to start with. Without a thought, she pulled over the wooden coffee table until it was positioned close enough to stand on and reach the higher shelves. These books, she found, were covered in a thick layer of dust that made her cough harshly and required frequent rinsing of the rag.

After the fourth or fifth climb up onto the table, Arya began to feel the tight burn in her thighs, accompanied by the growing worry of Gendry walking in to find her climbing his furniture. Would he care? Would he scold her like her mother or Robb would have, or maybe shake his head and express mild disapproval like her father or Jon? She couldn't help the smirk that came at the thought of the look on his face, surprise coming across it instead of his seemingly signature scowl. Arya decided then that she really wouldn't mind it if he came back to the house to find her in that state.

He never did though, and soon she had cleaned off the higher shelves enough to move down lower. After scooting the coffee table back to its standard position in front of the couch, she returned to the shelf that sat nearly eye level with herself. Unlike the higher books which seemed older and untouched for many long years, these lower shelves seemed occupied with somewhat newer books. There was still a fine coat of dust, but it was more frequently broken in places where the books had been removed and then replaced.

Arya hadn't been paying much attention to the titles or the genres of the books, humming and tapping her foot to the songs that played in the background, sounds that she could only just barely remember her father listening to in the car when she was young.

It caught her eye, though, when the book covers became more colorful and the font on them more frilly. She turned her head and let out a small laugh. They were romance novels. Nearly a dozen of them sat together in the middle of the shelf. The pages were yellowing and the paperback covers were worn considerably, obviously left from some past lighthouse keeper's wife who read them to pass the time. Arya felt moderate intrigue, though, and delayed her cleaning long enough to pull one from the lineup. The title, Waves of Passion, had caught her attention, but she was very much unprepared for the feelings that came over her at the cover.

Her eyes met with a man and woman standing on the deck of a boat. The female was tall and slender and held her blonde head of hair firm against the man's chest. The man, red headed and sharply dressed, had his arms wrapped around her confidently, his head held high against the storm that raged in the sky above them. 

Arya bit her lip and let her fingers nervously flip at the pages. The man on the cover could have been Mycah. She hadn't thought of him in a good while by now, so the holes in her chest stung as they opened anew. He had been her first crush, her only real crush, the only guy that she could have ever let herself be vulnerable enough for. And he was the only guy who could have been as nice as he was when he turned her down.

The book was slammed back onto the shelf before the stinging in her eyes could turn into more. She was ashamed at herself for letting the memory rush back into her mind so easily. She had learned her lesson that day, and that mistake would never be repeated.

Quickly, she moved back into the kitchen to rinse her rag at the sink. The thoughts swimming through her head clouded her attention, meaning that she jumped more than she should have when the front door slammed open behind her. 

Gendry's heavy steps sounded through the living room and, before she could turn her head, he was shoving her away from the sink to hold his own hand under the water.

Even the sight of red tinting the clear flow wasn't enough to stop her from firmly punching his shoulder. "Care to have some manners, sir?" she asked with a frown.

"Just fuck off." was his growled response.

Arya only rolled her eyes and huffed before stepping back over to look around his shoulder. His left hand held under the water sported a decent sized wound across the thumb and the nail was already beginning to change colour. She huffed again. "Gendry what on Earth did you do?"

"Tried to knock a pin out with a hammer." he still spoke in a growl and continued to angle himself away. "Had my hand too close. Hit myself." Gendry shut off the water and grabbed up the cleaning rag from beside the sink, pressing it to his injured hand before Arya could stop him.

"Gendry…" Arya closed her eyes and gave a small growl of her own. "Just...just sit down." 

She turned and headed back towards the bathroom, listening to his muffled protests and claims that he would "..be fine. Just let it go." The rubbing alcohol and bandages were in hand quickly, though, and she returned back to the kitchen, more than a little surprised to find that he actually had listened to her and was sitting at the table. Arya scooted the other chair to sit in front of him and, without waiting for his permission, took his hand and laid it to rest on her knee.

He grunted in his throat when she removed the rag. Blood started trickling out of the wound, but she quickly pressed clean gauze on top of it and held it firmly while grabbing the alcohol with her other hand. "Big sting." she warned before pouring it onto the gauze. Gendry sucked in a breath and slammed his other fist down onto the table, but made no move to take his hand away from her knee.

On the contrary, Arya noted just how still he was after that, save for the gentle figetting of his fingers on the table Gendry sat quiet and patient as she held the gentle pressure on the wound. It was then that she turned her attention to his other hand. The weight of it on her leg and the warmth that she could feel through her jeans made her chest constrict. Silence fell easily around them, broken only by the soft creaking of the window in the afternoon wind. 

Hazarding an upturn of her eyes, Arya found Gendry's to be fixed on the table where his fingers were gently picking at a dent in the wood. Any trace of his previous wrath seemed to have melted away entirely.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Gendry sniffled in a deep breath through his nose to break the silence. "Sorry I pushed you."

"It's alright." she shrugged. "No harm done."

"Still though, no way for me to be treating a Lady."

He was wounded, that was true, but it still didn't stop her from shoving his shoulder with her free hand. Gendry chuckled for the second time that day, and Arya began to count herself very lucky to witness it.

"Guess you, uh, got some experience with first aid?" he gestured down to his hand.

Arya nodded and hummed in affirmation. "Took a class before I set sail. Wanted to be as prepared as possible."

"That's good." Gendry nodded as well. "Good thinking on your part." A second of silence. "They made me take a survival class before I started working here."

"Makes sense. You're all alone on this rock, so you have to fend for yourself."

"Right." He breathed out and gently shifted his hand under hers. "Thankfully I never had to use much of it before you came along."

Images flashed through her mind of his hands, the very hand that she was tending to, cleaning and patching her own wounds.

"I must say," Arya laughed softly. "You did a fine job for a first time." It was true. The bandage on her head had been off since the night before, and she had yet to feel dizzy when she stood. All of the other scrapes and bruises were themselves well on their way to healing.

Gendry had stopped picking at the table and was now focused on her hands as she slowly lifted the red gauze. Finding the bleeding to have nearly stopped, she replaced it with a clean dry patch before wrapping it tightly. "Would rather have your wounds to bandage than your corpse to stand over." he finally said softly.

Arya tied off the wrap and had been ready to reply, but he beat her to it. "I'm about to start on your boat, if you want to come to the shop and see?" he proposed, a sudden optimism leaping to his voice.

"Of course." 

Gendry smiled and squeezed her knee before standing up, and Arya was greatful that he had turned around before the blush and stupid smirk could jump to her face.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The air inside of the shop didn't feel much warmer than the late afternoon chill that was beginning to set in out of doors. But at least she was out of the near constant wind, and Gendry seemed to give it no mind as he made his way around to turn on the fluorescent lights. 

While the air outside of the shop had been filled with the smells of salt and tide, the inside air reminded her greatly of Jon's shop where he had worked on his motor projects. She breathed in the oddly comforting odors of oil and metal, solvents and woodwork. It all came together in a way that made her forget that she was practically in the middle of the sea.

Slowly, along with everything else, her boat came into view. The sight of it didn't have the same shock to her mind as it did the first time that she saw its damage, but it hurt in her chest nonetheless.

Gendry would make things right, though. She had to believe that. He was darting around her boat now, wiggling this and nudging that. His eyes were scanning intensely over every crack and crevice, and he suddenly seemed almost indifferent to her presence there. She didn't mind, though, and contented herself with exploring the space around her. 

Arya perused slowly over the cluttered workbenches, taking slow mental inventory of their contents. Every tool imaginable seemed to make its home in the workspace. Some she knew the names of, some she didn't, and some she only faintly recognized from Jon's shop.

Before long she found herself standing in front of a tall red toolbox, the kind with dozens of drawers and cabinets and sat on wheels for easy moving. She ran her hand over the smooth top, only to find the texture broken by something engraved. It took standing on tip-toes to see, but she was able to peer over enough to see  **G. O. W.** carved into the metal in thick script.

"Are these your initials?" she asked, turning her head to look at where Gendry was knelt down against the stern of the boat.

He looked towards her and scrunched his face. "Yeah…"

"What do they stand for?" she didn't hesitate in asking.

He huffed. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't. But I'm curious." she shrugged. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." She waited, but all he gave in return was a snort and a smile while he pried at a board with a crowbar.

"Arya Lyanna Stark." she offered.

Even over the sound of the gust of wind that hit the shop she could hear him curse under his breath. "Gendry Orys Waters." he groaned. "Happy now?"

"I am." she grinned cheekily.

"Good. Now use your newfound joy and skip over to that bench. Hand me the gloves so I don't rip my hand open again."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Arya welcomed the sinking of the old couch as she leaned back against it and propped her feet on the coffee table. With a stomach full of pizza, cooked fresh from the freezer, she shut her eyes and let herself relax to the sounds of the gentle rain outside the window and the clinking of dishes as Gendry washed them.

It felt nice, all of it; a lot nicer than she would have imagined. Gendry had proved to be even worse at conversation than normal while working on her boat, choosing instead to mutter to himself when he wasn't asking her to fetch various tools. She couldn't have cared less, though. It was oddly nice to be doing something that didn't involve her being inside of the main house.

"Gonna be nicer weather tomorrow." Gendry called out, causing her to open an eye in the direction of the kitchen.

"You sure about that? Sounds pretty wet out there to me." she challenged.

"Trust me. I can tell." came his reply, and the grin heard in his voice made her smile as well.

"What are your plans then?" she asked, re closing her eye and settling back.

He hummed. "Probably see if I can't fix the shutters on the back window. They're looking pretty battered." He was silent for a beat before asking, "You?"

Arya shrugged, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "If it's gonna be good weather, I'd like to open these windows. Let some fresh air in."

"Good idea." His voice sounded closer and she reopened her eye and found him standing in the doorway. He still had his reading glasses on from his earlier ledger work, but through them she could yet again see that odd look, the same one that he had given her earlier that morning when she retrieved him for lunch. It wasn't quite affection, but almost something like fondness. 

Despite the skip of her heart, Arya managed a smile and watched as he sat his glasses on the coffee table. With that, he mumbled something about taking a shower and started off down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very much promise that we won't be chronicling every single day for these two! Expect some time jumps in the future.


	6. Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am again! So sorry for the long wait! I promised myself that I would finish a couple of other WIPs before I let myself update any of my others. Thank you, though, for everyone who's commented and checked in in the meantime! It means the world to me that you all love this story so much!
> 
> A huge thank you to Persuade_me/fandomjuxtaposition for beta-ing this chapter!!

“The bastard was right.” Arya mumbled as she heaved the wooden window open.

Just as Gendry had predicted, she had opened her eyes that morning to radiant sunlight seeping through the curtains. The air was still heavy and moist, but she would take what she could get, and as soon as breakfast was in her stomach she began pulling aside the curtains and opening every window that she could.

"Gendry!" she called out of the open bedroom window. "Looks like it's just the kitchen window that's stuck."

"Alright!" he replied, yelling from somewhere on the opposite side of the house. "I'll see to it in a bit!"

Stepping back, Arya took in a deep breath. The house already felt so much lighter around her, as if it also was glad for the change in weather. The windows open in the living room allowed for a pleasant crossbreeze that carried the smell of the sea and sun through the length of the house. It made her smile, and it filled her with a feeling that she hadn't felt in so long. She didn't want to think of it though, to voice the feeling in her mind, but she contented herself in letting the gentle feeling of home settle in her.

Gendry's rummaging outside the window could be heard behind her as she walked down the hallway and through to the kitchen. Laundry was gathered from the dryer and shoved into the basket. It was mostly hers, but a few of Gendry's shirts had made their way into the pile as well. No matter though. She thought nothing of it and carried the basket of warm garments back through the house to the bedroom. By then she could hear the thumps and creaks of Gendry doing his promised work on the shutters.

"Think I'll come outside myself when I'm done with the laundry." she announced, raising her voice so that he could hear. "Take the opportunity to get some sun."

"Fine by me!" he yelled back, voice carrying in through the window. "Be careful, though. The wind is still pretty harsh."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. Not like I'm going to blow away."

"I'd sure hope not. Then who would I get to clean the house?"

"Some thanks to give to the person who just washed some of your clothes as well!" she threw out with a smirk, starting to fold one of his shirts from the basket.

A silent beat, and then he gave a humble "Thank you!" that had her laughing.

It took little time to finish the folding. What few clothes she had managed to salvage from her boat were made into one pile while his sun faded t-shirts sat in a second. Another smile came to her face at how Sansa would have reacted to the situation. Arya had never placed as high a value on clothes as her sister, though. Not that she didn't enjoy a nice outfit, but clothes had never seemed to do the same for her. Sansa could dress herself up and immediately have the attention of an entire room, while Arya could dress the same and do nothing but radiate the awkwardness that she felt with so many eyes on her. It was a fact that their mother could never seem to grasp.

But she wasn't under that anymore, something that she readily reminded herself as the pile was scooped up and placed in the dresser's third drawer down, one that Gendry had cleared out specifically for her use. Next was his shirts, placed in the next drawer up along with several others. But opening it let out a distinct scent: Gendry's. The same scent that she occasionally picked up on the bed quilts when she first laid down at night. It was comforting in a way; it was a man's scent, heavy and relaxing to her mind. Without much thought, she allowed herself to stand there and take it in until a wafting breeze came through the window and brushed it away along with other thoughts that were beginning to slip into her head, thoughts of how it would be to smell the scent directly on him…

Arya pushed the drawer closed and quickly took up the empty basket from the bed. Back through the house she carried it, and back into the living room where it was left in the small laundry closet. Small shadows passed over the window to dim the kitchen softly, drifting clouds that moved on the steady wind, but still never enough to block the sun for long. It seemed absolutely beautiful outside and, after spending so many days indoors, she couldn't wait another minute.

Arya had a thought, though, and quickly grabbed a glass and filled it with ice and water before hurrying out the door.

It was heaven. Simply heaven.

Forget the crisp snowy mornings and glittering ice of the North. Paradise was the sun and the salty wind after the endless harsh storms that had cemented her stay on the island. She paused there in front of the house, ice water still in hand, and took it in.

_ 'I can see why he likes it here.' _ she thought happily.  _ 'The storms are worth it for days like this.' _

The thought of Gendry reminded her of the drink and its quickly melting ice, so she turned and walked around the far side of the house.

The building truly had seen better days, but small indicators of Gendry's handiwork could be noticed here and there, from repaired gutters to freshly painted siding. He really did seem to take pride in his dwellings. A very responsible man.

Rounding the corner to the rear of the house brought her in view of said man.

Arya froze in place.

Gendry stood where she thought she would find him, right at the bedroom window. But he had also just begun to pull his thick sweater over his head. The motion caused the t-shirt underneath to ride up his stomach and grant her an eyeful of smooth pale flesh and a trail of black hair that intersected his navel.

Her breath caught in her chest, and she almost didn't look away in time before he finished removing his sweater and immediately noticed her presence.

Arya quickly snapped herself back into motion. "Thought you may want this?" she asked, holding up the glass as she stepped closer.

"Oh! Yeah, thanks!" His eyebrows raised and a surprised smirk played at his lips. Readily taking the water, he tipped his head back to gulp half of it down at once, coming back up for air with a relieved sigh. 

"Anything I can do to help?" Arya offered as he sat the glass down, only to pick back up his hammer.

Gendry looked up at the shutters and shook his head. "No. Thank you though. Not much to do, just pulling off the damaged ones to repair."

Arya nodded in understanding, shifting her stance as a gust of wind whipped past them. "Think I'll just walk around then."

"Do you always make yourself at home this easily?" Gendry asked with a good natured tone to his voice. He was squinting in the sunlight, but Arya could plainly see that he was grinning as well.

"Yeah, most of the time."

"Wish I could do that." He gave a half laugh and stepped back up to his work. "Probably makes things a lot easier for you."

Arya shrugged. "Not all of the time. People expect you to be comfortable everywhere, even places that you don't want to be."

"Suppose that makes sense. Had an ex who tried doing that. One of the many reasons we aren't together anymore."

"Oh. Right." Arya wasn't sure what else to say to that, so she didn't.

Gendry seemed to be finished with the conversation anyways, turning back to his work.

Arya turned and began to meander away from the sounds of creaking wood being pulled from the nails. She had only known Gendry for a handful of days, but that was more than enough to know that she would get no more out of him. He was a big thinker, she noted, staying in his own head for most of his time. It led her to wonder if it was a side effect of living on his own, or if he had always been this inward. Judging by his last statement, however, she was beginning to think that it was the latter.

The scenery dimmed around her as yet another cloud passed over the sun. Arya watched in wonder as the beautiful blue water was turned dark and foreboding by the shadow. It was momentarily frightening, but not quite in a bad way; moreso in a way that made Arya appreciate the power that the water held. It was responsible for her being here, after all.

Slowly, she wandered down further from the house and the tall light. It struck in her mind, and made her smirk, that this was the first chance that she had to explore the island on which her temporary home sat. From what she could see, one half was comprised of sloping rocks that lead directly down to the water line, the area in which her boat had made its landing. But the other half was a grassy hill that slowly descended down to a small stony beach. It was this direction that she chose to wander, not wishing to revisit the unpleasant memories that the large rocks held. 

The wind remained her companion as she picked her way down the narrow path of packed dirt and sand that led through the pale sea grass. The cloud that had been rolling in front of the high sun finally began to move along its way, giving Arya ample light to see that the beach also held a long wooden dock. It looked sturdy enough and, after picking her way down from the grass and onto the stones, she took a few cautious steps out into it.

Water lapped around her and underneath her. Once more Arya felt a small portion of the freedom that she had experienced on her boat. She smiled and closed her eyes at this, wishing to remain in it for as long as she was able. Carefully she sat down on the dock and crossed her legs underneath her. This would be her new thinking place, she decided on the spot. And if Gendry didn't like it, then he was just shit out of luck.

************************************************************************

Arya wasn't sure how long she had sat on the dock, but by the time she began to make her way back up to the house the sun was noticeably lower and she now sported a new red tint to her skin. It made her a little proud, though she also hoped that it wouldn't become a sunburn.

Gendry seemed to have moved positions as well, as he was no longer at the rear of the house. When she went inside the house there was still no sign of him, but the clock in the living room said that it was nearing supper time already. 

Arya groaned inwardly at the thought of picking through the cabinets. She already knew what they contained: bachelor food. Far be it from her to scoff at the food that Gendry readily provided for her, but after so many days of quick-fix meals, she found herself craving something more.

But then the thought hit her, and Arya moved swiftly over to the pantry.  _ 'Yes, there should be enough.'  _ Soon a large can of tuna fish sat on the counter, alongside a package of cheddar flavored rice and a can of cream soup. Scavenging the refrigerator brought up half of a bag of shredded cheese and the last of the milk.

She smiled as she began. Cooking had always been a passion. Not quite enough to become a livelihood, but still enough to enjoy whenever she had free reign of a kitchen. She only hoped that Gendry would like what she had in mind to prepare. Soon a brown tinted glass baking dish was unearthed from the rear of a cabinet. It had to be washed, though, as Arya doubted that Gendry had even touched it in his time there. She dropped it into the sink and turned on the water. Habit led her to reach up to turn on the radio that always hung by the sink.

"I can't believe him…" she huffed when her hand failed to find the radio. Evidently, it had followed Gendry to wherever he was.

************************************************************************

An hour later Arya was pulling the casserole out of the small oven. The sight of golden cheese bubbling on top made her mouth water. She couldn't wait, and Gendry had yet to turn up, so she left the dish to cool on the stovetop while she slipped on her boots and headed out the door.

The sun was gone now, the fluffy clouds of earlier seeming to have banded together in a blanket that covered the sky and stole away the deep green of the sea. Arya frowned, and hugged her sides at the cooling wind, though she knew that this was most likely expected from a place called Storm's End.

She really had no desire at the time to climb up the winding steps of the lighthouse tower, so Arya opted to try the workshop first. Thankfully, she was right in her choice. Nearing the door, she could hear music playing presumably from the missing radio. The time was familiar, and she soon placed it as a semi-popular song that she had heard coming from Sansa's room a handful of times.

There was another voice joining in with the recording, though. And there was only one other person on the island…

"My featherbed is soft and warm,

So come inside out of the storm,"

Gendry's low voice came from behind the door. Arya paused, very much taken aback. 

"Though danger flashes all around,

Our love will keep us safe and sound."

She wondered for a long moment as to why she had never heard him sing before. Then again, she hardly knew anything personal about him.

It was beautiful, and she gave herself just a moment longer to listen as the soft chorus began.

"So lay with me

Lay with me

Under sky

Among the trees

My forest love you'll always be

So let me kiss your golden head

And lay you in my feather bed"

She couldn't help herself, and pushed open the door. "My hair isn't golden."

_ C-chunk _ . Gendry fumbled after his dropped tool while his face shot up to look at her. The poor man looked like a child who had been caught in the mud with his new clothes, even more so when the shy smile began creeping across his cheeks. It was all a far cry from the attitude that she had left him with earlier I'm the day. "Yeah...well...you...you're not…." He sighed. "Is there something I can help you with, milady?"

Arya couldn't help the laugh that came with her reply. "Dinner is ready whenever you are."

"Right. Yeah, ok," he chuckled as well. "Be right in." He looked so beautiful, so soft, that Arya found it hard to turn her head away, much more to walk out of the shop.

Gendry really wasn't hard to look at, she let herself admit that much. He also carried this aura about him that spoke to her of both strength and calmness. She stepped back into the house and kicked her boots off just as her mind drew back to that morning, when she stepped around the house and caught the briefest look at what he looked like under his thick sweaters. It made her bite on her cheek, warmth coming over her face. She wouldn't object to seeing more.

_ 'No,' _ she told herself.  _ 'No, that's Gendry. You can't get feelings for the guy who's helping you like this.' _ Besides, guys like him always went for the beautiful girls, like the ones on the cover of that romance novel in the bookshelf, not short brunettes who pick fights in school and sail away from home.

She stomped back into the kitchen and roughly pulled out the plates and utensils. Maybe if she pushed it away hard enough, then it wouldn't come up again before he could fix her boat. The sound of plates being dropped onto the table were accented by the sound of hard rain drumming onto the window.

"Oh shit!" Arya darted back into the living room. She reached the open windows just in time, only a slight dampness touching the couch before she pulled the windows back shut.

But as soon as the windows were shut, the door flew open, and in ran a sopping wet Gendry.

"Fuckin' hells! It couldn't have waited two more minutes!" he grumbled, slowly walking across the floor as water dripped off of him.

"Ugh! No! Go change!" she protested. "You're getting the floor wet!"

"Its just a floor." he shrugged and stopped in place. 

Arya grumbled and eyed the puddle that was quickly forming under him. When she looked back up at his face, however, it was just in time to catch a mischievous gleam in his eye before he began stepping closer. She knew that look, she had grown up with brothers. "Gendry, no…"

It was too late. He was beside her before she had time to run, shaking his head and spraying her with the cold water from his hair and shoulders. Arya shrieked through a laugh and cowered away, backing up towards the bookshelf. Gendry continued to follow her, hair now giving off a fine mist until he was close enough to rub it against her cheek.

"Gendry Waters!" she yelled, shoving at his shoulders until he finally backed away, both of them now grinning and breathing heavily. "Just….go dry off and change."

He laughed and shuffled off down the back hallway with an "Alright."

"And shut the bedroom window while you're back there!" she added.

"So demanding!" came his muffled voice.

************************************************************************

Gendry's eyes went wide as he sat down at the table. "What's that?"

"Rice and tuna casserole," she replied simply. "I can warm up some of the leftover soup if you don't want this."

"No! This...this is great," he said as a small smile formed. "My mom used to make stuff like this. Didn't even know we had the ingredients."

"Wasn't hard." Arya shrugged, now feeling very proud of herself.

Gendry picked up his fork and scooped some off of his plate. He paused, though, and looked up at her, causing Arya to pause as well. "Thank you, Arya," he said softly. "For everything you're doing here."

"It's the least I-"

"I really mean it," he cut her off, a sincere and almost melancholy look coming over his features. Without warning, he reached over and gently rested his hand on her arm. "It's much appreciated, and you're nowhere near the burden that I thought you'd be. I'm glad to have you here."

"Glad to hear that." She let out a weak laugh, but left it at that and prayed that he wouldn't notice the warmth that was coming back to her face.


	7. Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to everyone for the delay in this chapter! But I promise that I have a good reason.
> 
> For everyone who I haven't told already, two weeks ago my second daughter, Charlotte, was born. ❤️ She's happy and healthy, and we couldn't be happier! 
> 
> I promise though that I'll still be updating my  
> works as often as I can! Writing means so much to me and I don't see myself giving it up anytime soon.
> 
> A huge thank you to everyone who reads, and a special thank you to icontainmultitudes for beta-ing this chapter, and to snapdragon76 for always being my cheerleader/brainstorm buddy!

************************************************************************

Days rolled by, along with the clouds and the waves. As her time there crept upwards of a week, Arya was marveled at how easily she fell into an easy routine with the house, its light, and their caretaker. It made her happy to do what she could there, and Gendry was never anything less than appreciative.

Some days she found to be much like the usual, rainy and dark, and they would spend much of their time indoors, both inside the house and out in his shop where they slowly pieced together her broken vessel. Rarely did she follow him up into the tall light. He seemed to regard it as his own personal space, and she was all too willing to oblige. When the days were bright and fair, Arya spent her own time alone out on the dock. She would watch the clouds pass and observe the occasional boat float past the small island. It made her wonder how much longer it would be until she could join them out there. 

Occasionally her and Gendry's conversations would veer into the future, on her plans for her journey. Once, she had thought of turning her course out into open water and making for the Summer Isles. But the storm and the wreck had shaken her, and now she thought more towards keeping with the shoreline, perhaps circling around to the Iron Islands, or even Bear Island. Gendry would listen, but his responses were usually the same sort: "Never been there." or "Heard it gets more rain than here." or the occasional "I think my mum visited there once."

Gendry's mother felt like a fish in a dark pond to Arya. She would pop up in his statements and Arya would catch the most fleeting glimpse of her, but as soon as she began to take notice of the woman she would vanish beneath the surface and Gendry would clam up. So far, all that Arya could discern was that his mother had raised him on her own, had worked in a bar where she had met his father, and was barely making ends meet when she had died, Gendry being barely 16, at the time. If he had photos of her, they were hidden somewhere that Arya had not yet stumbled upon.

But it didn't matter much, she supposed one day. His mother was gone, and Gendry had obviously loved her dearly, so that was enough.

************************************************************************

The weather had changed again; Arya could feel it in her head as soon as she had woken up. Even though the sky was still dark outside of the bedroom windows, she could tell that the day would prove to be a harsh one.

She had already spent nearly an hour laying in the bed and listening to the combined sounds of the wind outside and Gendry's gentle snores from the couch. It made her feel a little guilty that he had spent so many nights so far on that threadbare sofa. The fabric was faded by years of sun through the window and the bottoms of the cushions, never mind the padding, having worn down to the point that it took real effort to remove oneself from the piece of furniture. She noticed, more often than not, that Gendry rubbed firmly at his neck in the mornings, but every offer of swapping beds had been met with a firm "That's not necessary, milady."

It was evident that she wasn't going to be falling back asleep any time soon, so Arya finally peeled back the quilts and slid softly from the bed. She figured that she may as well make herself useful and start on breakfast, so with the cool of the floor boards seeping through her socks, she walked noiselessly down the hall and felt her way into the living room. There was a bit of light in there, at least, the faint castings of the light above the oven making their way in to glow on Gendry where he slept on the couch.

Gendry, who was shirtless.

Gendry, who was lying on his stomach with the blanket laying low around his waist, leaving his broad back exposed.

One of his arms seemed to be tucked underneath himself, while the other draped up over his head, displaying the flex of the muscles there. Arya held herself still. The orange light from the kitchen cast shadows over the dips and curves of his back, from the wide shoulders and the valley of his spine down to the narrowing of his waist as it dipped into the sleeping pants that he always seemed so comfortable in. She even took in the dimples that sat beside each of his hips and the firm curve of his ass. His face was turned towards her, and even though it was mushed against the pillow and half covered in shadow, Arya thought that it was the most peace that she had ever seen on him. A part of her wanted to touch it, to smooth her thumb over the arch of his cheek, to feel the stubble that was surely sprouting on his jaw, to gently pull her fingers through his hair so that he would wake and look up at her with tender blue eyes. 

But she pulled herself away, softly continuing through to the kitchen and its window, that was slowly turning grey with the coming sunrise.

Soon a pan was warming on the stove and the toaster was loaded with bread slices. She was just bending down to pull the carton of eggs from the refrigerator when she heard a low stretching groan coming from the living room, followed soon by the pad of footsteps as Gendry entered the kitchen.

"Whatchu got for breakfast this time?" he asked from somewhere behind her.

Arya smiled and closed the refrigerator door to turn around in instinct. She had momentarily forgotten, though, that he was fresh from sleep, and the sight of Gendry standing in the middle of the kitchen wearing only his sleeping pants made her breath catch. It affected her even more than seeing him on the couch, because now she had unhindered sight of his broad chest and the light dusting of hair that lay across its middle. There was even a deep red impression in the skin that sat just above one of his nipples from where he had been laying on his curled up hand.

But his face, the sleepiness in his eyes and the lazy smile that came when she answered "Just some eggs and toast." made her head flounder as she turned back to her cooking at the stove. 

This, however, left her completely unprepared for the large warm hand that pressed at the middle of her back and rubbed softly while he muttered "Thank you."

Arya bit at her tongue and prayed to all the gods that the dim light of dawn would hide her growing blush. She stayed facing the stove, cracking the eggs into the pan and watching as they slowly began to turn white around the edges. His hand disappeared and, at the cabinets behind her, she listened as Gendry began to make the coffee. It was truly the first time that they had both been awake for breakfast at the same time, and Arya was already kicking herself for not letting it happen sooner. 

_ 'Is this what being married is like?' _

The thought came through her head before she had a chance to kick it out. She really did wonder, and the image that came when she thought of a partner was more and more often taking the form of Gendry.  _ 'But he's happy alone. He's just helping you out, as a friend.' _ she would tell herself, had been telling herself for the past week, and push on with the day.

"We're nearly out of butter. And we've been out of milk." she commented, turning her head just enough to glance over her shoulder at where he was leaning against the countertop.

Gendry nodded, eyes still fixed at the floor in a fatigued stare. "I'll get a list going for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he suddenly looked up. But then his eyes suddenly got wide. "Shit, I didn't tell you, did I?"

"Evidently not." Arya chuckled.

"Shit." he cursed again and raked his hand through his already wild hair. "Once a month Davos comes here and relieves me for a day. I take the boat to shore and get groceries and whatnot."

"And he's coming tomorrow." Arya finished with a smile. "Sounds great! About time I got to see other people."

"Hey!"

Arya laughed, flipping one of the eggs over.

The clinking of glass told her that he had gotten their coffee cups out. "Well if that's the case, then perhaps I'll just leave you in town. Heavens know it's be a lot quieter around here."

"And heavens knowyou'd go back to eating canned soup and frozen pizza all the time," she rebutted.

There was a beat of silence while she placed two of the eggs on one of the plates beside her. Finally, she heard him chuckle and reply with a sincere "No, no worries there. You're irreplaceable."

Arya laughed as well, turning to hand Gendry his plate and earning yet another "Thank you." before he carried it and their mugs over to the table.

************************************************************************

"No that one!"

"This one?" Arya moved her hand to another wrench.

"No, the other one!"

"This one?"

Gendry exhaled harshly through his nose, even though a glimmer of a smile sat on his lips. "No, just…..the one that has 1/16 on it."

"Well you could have just said that!" Arya exclaimed, pulling the correct wrench from the peg and carrying it back across the shop.

With a relieved "Thank you." from Gendry, she resumed her spot beside him on the boat's small deck and extended a hand to help hold the part in place. With the hull finally completed, she had assisted Gendry in bracing the small vessel upright so that he could repair the damages to the main mast. Slowly, but ever so surely, the boat was nearing completion.

"So what's our plans for going into town tomorrow?" she asked curiously.

Gendry shrugged in his signature way and tightened the bolt down even further, the veins in his hand and wrist flexing with the muscles. "Suppose we'll get the groceries, then swing by the hardware shop to pick up some new hinges for your cabin door." He gestured behind him to the small bare opening. "But I'll take you to Marya's first."

"Marya's?" Arya's ears perked up at the female name.

"Yeah, Davos' wife. She runs the diner in town. Usually lets me borrow her car to run my errands."

"That's nice of them." Arya smiled. Her mind began to wonder about this couple that had seemed to have taken Gendry under their wings. 

"Yeah," he agreed. "It is. Never knew my grandparents, so I guess they stepped in to fill that hole when I moved here.

Yet another piece to add to the puzzle. Arya nodded and shuffled down the deck as Gendry did the same, pulling another bolt from his pocket and fitting it to the hole. He was silent then. She followed suit. It seemed so much easier to do after being with him for so long now, as though his silent bouts were just another part of who he was. 

************************************************************************

Arya had hoped that a hot shower would help to calm her racing thoughts, but if anything they only seemed to run through her head even faster. 

It would be soon. Not tomorrow, or the next day, but soon. Gendry was so close to completing her boat, and as soon as it was ready to sail then her welcome would be expended. 

_ 'But would it?' _

Arya squeezed the soap out to begin lathering her hair. Hadn't he told her that very morning that she was irreplaceable? And never once in all of the days that she had spent there so far had she gotten the inclination that he didn't want her there. It was actually the opposite, especially over the past few days…

She closed her eyes and backed up into the water spray, fingers working the soap out of her hair. Behind her eyelids, Gendry's face appeared; Gendry's face smiling at her in that way that he so often did. She loved it when he did that, but now she wondered how that face would look smiling beside her in bed, or while they sat together on her dock watching the rare clear skies. Arya didn't really care right then that the thoughts would hurt her when she inevitably left. It felt good and almost tangible…

A high whistling from the showerhead made her jump. Arya turned quickly and looked up just in time for the water to slow it's flow before ceasing all together.

"Really?" she huffed. The knobs were wiggled and the showerhead was smacked, but it was no use. Still grumbling, she stepped out of the tub and walked gingerly over to the door, pulling it barely open. "Gendry! The showers broken!" she yelled out through the crack.

A muffled reply came from the kitchen, sounding something like "It does that sometimes!"

Arya couldn't help the rolling of her eyes as she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her midsection, braving the cool air of the house as she opened the door. Stepping into the kitchen revealed Gendry to be hunched over the table with a small metal object laying in two pieces before him. He was deeply entrenched in loosening a screw from one of the bits when she spoke up. "Alright, then how do I fix it?"

Gendry's eyes shot up, his hands simultaneously seeming to lose all fine motor function as his mouth began floundering. "D...d... don't..worry…..about it." he finally managed to speak, scrambling up from the table and knocking one of the pieces off in the process. "I...I'll fix it…"

Arya could only grin and watch as Gendry stumbled over himself to get around her and down the hallway. He disappeared into the bathroom and Arya stood in the hallway, listening as Gendry fumbled with something. She decided to move closer and stepped forward until she was looking around the doorframe at Gendry kneeling down beside the sink. He was muttering to himself, reaching up under the cabinet and doing something to the pipes.

After a few minutes, Arya heard a thump coming from the wall, and the water started back up in the shower.

"Thanks." she sighed happily.

Gendry jumped slightly, obviously unaware of her presence behind him. "Of course." he said softly, keeping his back to her as he stood.

"You know, if I wasn't comfortable with you looking then I wouldn't have come out like this." she found herself saying, despite the fact that she was now nervously crossing her arms over her chest. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't entirely sure what she had been thinking.  _ 'You were thinking that he'd find you attractive.' _ she told herself harshly.  _ 'You shouldn't have bothered.' _

Gendry gave a quiet snort at that before finally turning around, and Arya felt herself suddenly growing warm at the way that his eyes drifted slowly down to her bare legs and then back up again to her face. He swallowed, and before she knew it he was stepping closer. She stood still and watched him come to stand in front of her. A hand came up to her neck, and he brushed back one of her wet locks.

Arya dared to lift her gaze from where it had been fixed at the center of his chest, and the sight of his eyes so close to her own made her breath catch. He looked so tender, exactly the way that she had longed for that very morning when she stood watching him sleep. 

His hand lingered for half a moment at her neck before dropping back down to his side. Then he was darting around her and back out into the hallway, calling back a half-hearted "Enjoy your shower, milady!" before she heard him pass through the front door.

************************************************************************


	8. Out - pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I promised big things in this chapter, but the word count kept climbing before I could get to some of them. So, sadly, I've had to break it in two. Good news, though! I have a ton of notes left for the second part, so it shouldn't take long to finish! I hope you still like it!
> 
> I proudly present: Arya and Gendry's big day out

When Arya was seven, she had been awoken early one autumn morning by her mother dragging the blankets off of her, telling Arya that her father was on his way home with a surprise. She could remember sitting on the back of the couch, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, feet clad in dirty sneakers as they swung wildly about in anticipation as she watched out the front window.

It felt like ages that she sat there watching the gloomy sky threaten either rain or snow until finally her father's truck pulled into the driveway. Her seven year old heart nearly exploded when she saw him step out, struggling to hold all six tiny wolf pups in his arms. It was a fond memory, and Arya found herself looking back to it fondly as she looked out the kitchen window, watching the small motorboat slowly float up to the dock. The same anticipation was there as it was when she was seven. It was a promise of a new experience, a day open to possibilities.

"Is he coming?" Gendry asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Just got here." Arya said, stepping back from the window. 

"Good."

"I meant to ask," Arya started, turning around to lean back against the counter.

Gendry, who had just pulled the shopping list from the refrigerator, turned to cock an eyebrow.

"Is your boss going to say anything...about me being here?" she asked.

"You mean try to make you go back home? No, no worries there. Davos understands why you're here."

Before she could say anything else Gendry had scooped up his wallet from the table and darted towards the front door. Arya rolled her eyes. He had been like that all morning, barely keeping still long enough to eat the oatmeal that she had fixed and hardly saying more than he had to. If she had to guess, it would be that his nerves were working overtime.

She followed through, taking the small satchel bag from the coffee table. During one of her cleaning sprees it had been found in a box in the laundry book and Gendry said that she was welcome to it. Sansa would have rolled her eyes at the style, but it made her think of something that Jon would carry at university, so she decided to take it. Taking a moment to make sure that she had everything she needed in it, Arya then walked out the front door herself.

The night before she had hoped that the following morning would be one of the beautiful days. But it seemed as though the sky and sea would do what they did best, even on days meant for adventure. It wasn't full on raining though, so Arya decided that she should at least be thankful for that despite the heavy chill in the air that promised a shower or two later on. She followed the path around the house and down the slope to her dock. Gendry was already well down there and talking to the man who she had seen from the window when she first arrived on the island. 

Davos turned his head at her approach, prompting Gendry to do the same, and Arya flashed them both a smile. "Davos, I assume?"

"You'd be right." he smiled back with a polite nod, extending his hand for a shake as soon as she was close enough. "Davos Seaworth. And you're the miraculous Arya."

"I am." she laughed.

"Gendry said you're a Stark. I've...uh...sent word to your family. Hope you don't mind it." Arya's eyes widened and her heart jumped into her throat. She nearly expected for his next words would be that her father and mother were waiting in the town to drag her back home. This would be it, the end to her adventure once and for all. Davos seemed to pick up on her change in demeanor. "I gave no details, only that you're staying in Storm's End for the time being while your boat is repaired."

That was a little better. Arya released the hem of her sweatshirt that she hadn't realized that she was holding onto. Her family still knew that she was there, but at least now there wouldn't be a reason for them to come all the way down from Winterfell for her. "Thank you." she breathed out, forcing herself to smile at the man.

"I hope your injuries are healed nicely?" Davos then asked, eyes turning up to the small red line on her forehead.

"They are." Her hand came up involuntarily to touch the mark. "Good Doctor Gendry patched me right up." She turned to look over at him, finding him staring hard at the planks of the dock despite the small upturn of his mouth.

"Not going to lie to ya, I was ready to rush you over to the hospital in the next town if you were too bad off."

"That lumen is still holding on up there," Gendry spoke up, jerking his head towards the lighthouse. It wasn't lost on Arya how he had quickly changed the subject, though Davos didn't seem to mind. "But the new one should be ready for pick-up. Had it sent to the hardware store."

"Good lad." Davos nodded proudly. "I'll keep an eye on it today. May want to think about taking off soon; got a steady line of rain making its way through."

Gendry nodded making to step down towards the boat. Arya turned briefly back to Davos, giving a much better smile this time. 

"It was very nice meeting you."

"Likewise." He smiled just as warmly and gave a small bow. "A fair warning, though, my wife has been chomping at the bit to meet you. So don't be scared off if she comes across too strong."

"I'll keep it in mind." Arya laughed, giving one last wave before turning to the boat.

Gendry was already in it, positioned securely beside the motor and offering her a hand. It wasn't until she took his hand, though, that Arya realized the fact that it would be her first time in a boat since her wreck. She had nearly died that day, would have if it hadn't been for Gendry, and this boat was much smaller than hers besides.

But his hand shifted under hers, causing her to look up and meet his concerned look.

"Will you be ok?" he asked, just loud enough to hear over the waves. "You can always stay here."

Arya firmly shook her head and held his hand tight while she stepped into the boat. She sat down as soon as both feet were in, which landed her close enough to press a leg against one of his. She didn't want to be as nervous as she was. 

But thank the gods for Gendry Waters and his steady hand. He revved the small motor and gently, ever so gently, pulled the boat away from the dock. It was done with such finesse that Arya would have never know that they were moving had she not watched with her own eyes as the island began to grow smaller. 

It was funny, the day had started with Gendry being the nerve wracked one, and now they had seemed to swap places. It made her laugh inside to realize this, and that laugh gave her just a bit of strength.

"See," Gendry started once they were well under way, leaning his head down close to hers. "Davos doesn't mind your being there."

Arya gave a half laugh, leaning closer as well. "I didn't mean it like that. Besides, if you couldn't kick me off of this rock then I seriously doubt that he could."

Gendry laughed as well and muttered a "right".

"No, I was asking in case I needed to be ready for a scene. Not that I can't handle one." 

"I take it you're used to scenes?"

To that, Arya closes her eyes and let out a long breath. "Let's just say that nearly every decision of mine has been cause for a scene from my mum."

"I can only imagine how it went down when you told them you were sailing on your own."

They hit a particularly rough patch of water, sending the boat into a small leap that caused Arya to brace her leg firmer against his.

"Oh there was yelling, you can be sure of that." She tried to force out a laugh, but it came out wrong, making Gendry cut his eyes over to her. "And then she never came out to see me off on the morning I left."

"Wow." he breathed out. "M'sorry."

"It's alright. At least now I can do what I want without worrying about a lecture."

"Oh you're still getting lectures from me, milady."

That brought out a genuine laugh. Arya reached over to gently smack his thigh with the back of her hand. Gendry only gave a very satisfied grin, eyes locked on the nearing dock. Had their trip really been so short? It hadn't seemed so from the island. But he had been distracting her after all...

He hopped onto the metal dock and tied off their boat. Then, offering Arya a hand up, they began walking up towards the shore. There was a man sitting in a small shack that Gendry led them too. A few words were exchanged through the little glass window, but Arya's attention was held by the gravel drive that lead up to where the buildings began.

The town of Storm's End seemed as old as the lighthouse itself; at least that was the impression that Arya got by the looks of it. Once Gendry had finished speaking with the man he led her up towards it in a brisk walk. The structures that had paint seemed faded by decades of rain and salt spray. Arya pondered the quaintness of it all. Turning onto the sidewalk and strolling down the row of shops, it was easy to see that this particular stretch was one of the things that the people here were truly proud of. This was a town that depended on its history. History brought in tourists, and tourists brought in income. Nearly none of the buildings had been updated, at least not on their exterior. Instead, they had been kept up in their original style of typical Westerosi East Coast.

They passed by a gift shop, a store that seemed to be an apparel boutique, a printing office, and a bookstore before Gendry finally turned to the door of a hardware store. She took two steps inside, which was enough for her to see that it was a typical small hardware store that held very little interest for her.

"I'm gonna wait outside and look around." she said decidedly.

For half a moment Gendry looked as though he was going to decline, and Arya had her response ready. He must have seen this, because she practically watched him deflate before her eyes, his own eyes rolling before nodding his head. "Don't go far though. I don't want to have to come rescue you if you get lost."

"Gendry, where is there for me to get lost here? I can round the corner and see the beach." she deadpanned.

His jaw flexed, but he said nothing and turned to walk down an aisle. 

Arya was out the door immediately following. The air was still cool, and she breathed it in happily as she wandered back down the row of buildings. This was a town with character she decided as she took in the old style of lightposts. Even the sidewalk looked original, paved in age-polished brick instead of cement.

She had just stopped to look into an empty storefront when the sky finally decided to open up. Fat drops began drumming on her head, causing Arya to curse and sprint down the sidewalk towards the nearest shop with an awning. But once she was there, the decision to go on inside was a very easy one.

The sound of rain faded with the tinkling of the bell over the door. Thankfully, the dark sky outside had left her prepared for the soft lighting that filled the bookshop that she found herself in. Arya smiled and inhaled through her nose; the distinct smell of paper and ink had always been among her favorite scents. She walked a few steps forward to take in her surroundings. It was small, but the rows of bookshelves that sat all around her made the space feel much bigger. The lighting was dimmed low as well, giving the shop a very comforting feeling. Arya knew at once that she could easily lose herself in there.

She approached one of the shelves and reached out a hand to pull out a book with an interesting binding. It was then, though, that her eyes caught movement from atop the bookshelf. It was a cat, she discovered only after she had jumped back at the surprise, tortoise shell colored and giving her a look that said 'don't muck anything up'.

************************************************************************

That was exactly where Gendry found her nearly half an hour later. She smiled up from her spot on the floor as he came darting inside, hair and jacket damp from the remainder of the rain.

"There you are!" He threw his hands up in the air, startling the two cats in her lap in the process. "I've been running around like a mad man looking for you!"

"Ok, first off, you're going to apologize to these two angels for scaring them." Arya replied cooly, hands coming up to smooth down their backs. The tortoise shell flicked her tail at Gendry before settling back down while the white and grey-striped was content to press against Arya's arm. "Secondly, I didn't go far. I've been here the whole time. I'm looking for a book to take back." She gestured to the five or so books that she had open on the floor in front of her.

Gendry cocked his head. "You've read through all the books that's there?"

"Well no, but I want to add to the collection. A little gift from me." She wanted to add 'to remember me by' but something made the words stick in her throat.

"Ah. Ok." Gendry nodded and scanned his eyes over the books.

It wasn't lost on Arya at how quickly he deflated now that he had found her safe and sound. It did feel nice that he had cared enough to worry over her, and it made perfect sense considering that they were both used to keeping such close quarters that everything else seemed so far apart.

"I think I'll take this one." Arya announced, picking up a glossy hardback with a picture of the lighthouse on the cover and looking over towards the counter where the shop's owner sat.

The woman, who's thick black and blue pullover made her stand out from the store's soft colors, jerked her eyes from Gendry back over to look at Arya. "Oh, yeah! I'd say that's a good choice!"

"Sorry, my dears." Arya sighed softly, giving each other cats an affectionate ear scratch before moving to stand. "I must go. But I'll come see you again if I get the chance."

She had just moved to stand when suddenly Gendry was in front of her and offering a hand to help her up. Arya smiled up at him and took it, feeling herself suddenly lifted to her feet with seemingly no effort on his part.

"Thanks." she said a bit dazed, but Gendry was already bending down to pick up the other books for her. 

It was almost guaranteed that the shop owner's eyes had grown ten sizes.

The other books were soon put away and Gendry followed her up to the counter. Arya sat the book there before stepping aside and looking at Gendry, who raised an eyebrow and shrugged in question.

"Are you gonna pay her?" Arya asked.

"Am I gonna….." Gendry trailed off before closing his mouth and flexing his jaw for the second time that day. "You lost your wallet in the-"

"Yep."

Gendry immediately fished out his wallet and slapped a couple of bills on the counter. "You're paying me back for this you know." he then smirked.

"How?" Arya laughed as the woman slid the book into a paper bag. "I already cook and clean for your sorry ass."

The woman extended the bag out and Gendry grabbed it up before Arya could. "Oh, I'll think of something, milady."

With that, he turned to lead the way back outside. Arya could only roll her eyes and look back at the woman. "Thanks again for your help."

"Don't mention it." was the reply, though Arya did notice that the woman's eyes were on Gendry instead of her.

Opening the door, she found that the rain had stopped completely, leaving a fresh heavy feeling to the air. Gendry was already several places ahead, and by the time she caught up to him he had already began pulling the book out of the bag.

"Now to see what I just bought." he murmured in fake annoyance. "A Complete Guide to Storm's End. A tourism book?" he laughed out the last part.

"Yeah! Now anyone else that finds themselves suddenly stranded in this wet trap can have a bit of information." She jerked the book out of his hands and began flipping pages. "See, it even has the lighthouse in it!"

The page in question held a majestic looking photograph of the island, taken on a rare sunny day that made the structure look far more appealing than it actually was. Without really meaning to, Arya found herself scanning over the words as they walked.

_ Stag's Light _

_ Est. 1875 A.C., this historic structure remains to this day as the longest continually operating lighthouse in Westeros. In its long history, it has housed not only dozens of devoted lighthouse keepers, but also stood for a brief time as the headquarters for an obscure religion who renamed it Lord's Light. _

_ Construction was started under direction of Emmet Baratheon, who authorized for stones to be used from the ruined castle that gave the town it's name. _

"Woah, wait!" Arya nearly stopped walking. "The lighthouse is built with stones from an old castle?!"

"Uh...yeah?" Gendry didn't sound surprised in the least.

"And when were you gonna tell me that?!"

"It's not like it ever came up!" he laughed, extending his arms out to his sides. "Oh, here's my lighthouse. Some guys a long time ago took from one historic landmark to build another."

"Is it close? Can we go there?" Arya asked hopefully, already flipping through the book to find the page on the castle.

"I guess?" Gendry trailed off to think. "It's about an hour's drive out of town."

"Perfect."

************************************************************************

The Blackwater Pub looked exactly like every small town pub that Arya had ever seen. It was small and unassuming except for the big dark wood sign on the roof that announced its name beside the depictions of old fashioned ships.

Stepping inside, Arya was met with the faint smell of pipe smoke and the prominent smell of good cooking. The sign by the door instructed them to seat themselves, but Gendry seemed to not need a reminder as he immediately made for a small table by one of the windows.

"Hey, Gendry! See you brought your mermaid with ya!"

Arya looked over to where an older man was kicked back in a booth. He grinned and raised up his pipe, obviously proud of his statement.

"Hey, Thoros." Gendry jerked a nod in the man's direction but said nothing else as he guided Arya over to their destination. "Just ignore him. His welding shop closed last winter and now he has nothing better to do than sit in here and heckle."

A young girl with too many bangle bracelets was soon by their table and jotting down their drink orders on a tablet. When she left, Arya turned to look out the window. The rain may have stopped for the time being, but thick grey clouds still casted a faded light over the town around her.

"Gendry Waters!" a female voice scolded. 

The woman that it seemed to belong to was barging through the kitchen door, hands being wrung with a dishtowel that was dropped onto one of the empty tables that she passed. A long silvery white ponytail swished back and forth behind her with every step. She was coming towards them with a good natured frown, and Arya liked her already. Despite her roundness and short stature, shorter even than Arya, the woman that she assumed to be Marya moved at a brisk pace through the restaurant. 

Gendry had only just stood from his seat when he was enveloped in a pillowy hug. "I can't believe it that I have to hear it from my wait staff that you're here. You should know better; bringing in a guest and all." Marya winked at Arya as soon as she had released Gendry.

"Now how come you be never given me a greeting like that?" Thoros called over.

"Well maybe I would if you'd take a decent shower for once, Thoros!" Marya snapped back at the man. "And rain don't count!"

Arya laughed as Marya turned to her and, same as Gendry, barely had time to react as she was pulled into a hug.

"I know you have to be Arya." she said softly, pulling back to look Arya square in the face. "Welcome to our town and, please, stay as long as you'd like. You have no idea how good it is to see my boy with a woman at his side."

A blush sprang to Arya's cheeks, and an accompanied groan came from Gendry.

"So, I'll be taking the car up to the castle ruins before we head for groceries. If that's alright?" 

"Of course it is, dear." Marya smiled over at him, and Arya thought for a moment that she saw a bit of a gleam in the woman's eye. "You go and show Arya the best time you can. Now, what can I get for you two? Name it and it'll be on the house."

"I could do for a coffee refill!" Thoros chimed in again.

"Thoros, I swear to the Seven…!" Marya snapped, causing the man to flinch and snicker.

Gendry grinned. "Just the usual for me. With brownies?"

"Got a fresh pan in the oven just for you." Marya winked. "And what about you, Arya? Need a menu?"

"I'll just have the same as him."

"Are you sure? It's no trouble to fix anything you want."

"I'm sure. It's just a relief to not be the one doing the cooking for a change!"

Marya turned to Gendry and stage whispered "I like her." before hurrying back off to the kitchen, completely ignoring Thoros' outstretched coffee mug.

Gendry's usual turned out to be a hearty Shepherd's Pie. Arya didn't think that she had ever felt so satiated after a meal as she did with that one. She only wished that she hadn't had to wait until the end of the meal to see what came next.

The way Gendry's face lit up when Marya brought out a tray of brownies and milk was the highlight of her day. Arya could have sworn that it was the happiest she had ever seen him when he took his first bite.

He eventually noticed her and grinned a big chocolatey smile. "She has the best brownies. Always look forward to them."

************************************************************************

Arya couldn't help but give a smug smile to herself as she climbed into the passenger seat of Marya's modest four-door sedan. She still wasn't completely sure how they had managed it, but at one point during the brief walk to the pub's parking lot Marya had managed to slip Arya the requested piece of paper that held her brownie recipe. Imaging the look on his face when she surprised him with his favorite dessert in his own kitchen made her stomach flutter, so it took extra work to control her features when Gendry slid into the driver's seat beside her.

The motor was turned and, just as with the boat earlier in the day, Arya watched the pub growing smaller in the rear mirror.

"She's great." she commented, earning a nod from Gendry. "Reminds me of the lady that used to nanny for us."

"Yeah." Gendry smiled and shifted in his seat. "She's always been like a second mum, ever since I've known them."

They passed through more of the town. A small sept rolled past, followed soon by a school that couldn't have held more than a hundred students. 

"They'll be coming up on their fiftieth anniversary soon." he continued.

Arya whistled, eyes tracking another shop that passed by. "My parents have only been married thirty something years. I guess it works when you have the right person."

"Yeah, I guess." he seemed to agree, but his tone had changed. One hand left the steering wheel to rake through his hair.

"Have you ever been with anyone?"

That subject had barely been touched in all of the conversations they had, and now Arya knew why. An odd tension filled the car as soon as the words left her mouth.

Gendry surprised her by answering, though. He always seemed to surprise her with things like that, something she found a little exciting.

"Yeah, before I came here. Dated a bit in school, but not much. Then I sorta hit it off with a girl I met after my mom passed. Ended up getting engaged."

Arya could sense that it was all hard for him to say, but he was saying it nonetheless. She listened as she watched out the window. Now it was houses being passed; some were more elaborate and obviously vacation homes for wealthier folk, but most were average family houses.

"It didn't work out, though." he said in what seemed a sad resolve. "Said I was wasn't what she needed, that I was too withdrawn and holding her back. She moved away a week after she broke it off, and I moved out here a month later."

The town seemed to have come to an end, right along with Arya's words. Should she apologize for the situation? Should she tell him that he was in the right and that the girl was wrong?

"Oh well." Gendry gave a sad laugh before she could make up her mind. "Like I said, I'm meant to be alone. Guess it's meant for some people though."

"I wouldn't know about any of that." Arya commented, her voice coming out smaller than she had intended.

"Oh?" he asked. Arya was taken aback by how surprised he sounded. "What, no heartbroken sweetheart that you left behind in The North?"

"Not unless you count my dog." Arya half laughed. She was doing her best to make light of it and ignore the lump that was forming in her throat. "My sister was the one bringing home boys, I was just a tomboy who tried to beat the boys up. No one ever noticed me enough to want to date me."

There was a long silence, and Arya almost began to think that Gendry had dropped the conversation.

"I would have dated you."

She wanted to look over at him. She really did. But she didn't, and instead kept her eyes on the winding road ahead.

"Yeah?" she finally made herself ask.

"Yeah." his deep voice replied, and she allowed herself to smile as his hand came over to rub her knee. "What's there not to like about you?"

"I'm too stubborn."

"Hey, so am I. And I picked my fair share of fights."

"I don't get excited over fancy purses or shoes."

"Waste of money if you ask me."

"I'd rather kick a ball around than sit for piano lessons."

"Just means that you like being active."

A laugh shot out of Arya, and she had just opened her mouth for another disagreement when Gendry's hand suddenly went from her knee to her hand. She looked down at it just in time for him to lace their fingers and squeeze gently.

"I mean it." he said much softer this time. "Anyone would be so lucky to have you."

Arya's head was spinning and she really couldn't think of an appropriate response to that, so she settled instead with returning the squeeze.

That was how they spent the remainder of the drive to the ruins. Gendry navigated the turns and curves of the road with one hand while Arya found herself absentmindedly rubbing her thumb over the knit pattern of his sleeve hem.


	9. Out - pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised big things in this chapter, and I hope that I don't disappoint!

************************************************************************

The ruins of Storm's End turned out to be the only thing big enough to make Arya release Gendry's hand.

They were enormous, and Arya nearly had a hard time envisioning it as it must have been when it was whole. She had been in large sports stadiums that would easily fit inside of its outer walls. It sat atop a line of cliffs and nearly looked as though it should have toppled down into the churning sea ages ago. But yet it stood strong. The deep grey of its stones were made even darker by the day's rain. Arya could tell even from the narrow road that it was still only a shadow of what it once must have been. Gaps were prominent in its walls and towers, windows stood open and vulnerable where thick panes of glass must have once filled in. But still, in Arya's eyes, it was nothing less than magnificent.

Gendry pulled the car into a modest and nearly empty gravel parking area, Arya jumping out of the door before he had hardly turned the key. 

"This is incredible!" she gaped, leaning back against the vehicle to look up at a tower that sat near to them.

"Yeah, suppose it is." Arya heard him laugh behind her. "During tourist season they usually host fairs here and reenactments, but the rest of the time it's kinda left open to wander through."

"Well then what are we waiting for!" After the car ride, it was easy to grab Gendry's hand and pull him along as she rushed to the main entrance.

It was even more magnificent from the inside. Arya felt as though she was surrounded by history itself. Same as in the car, Gendry's hand was soon released in favor of turning around to look up at the walls that surrounded the large courtyard.

"Just think!" she exclaimed. "People actually used to live here!"

No reply.

"Gendry?" Arya turned back around.

He wasn't far, at least not physically, but his mind was definitely in another place entirely as he stood reading one of the bronze plaques that seemed to be placed around the site. Arya walked slowly over, and when he still didn't acknowledge her, she pressed gently against his side to look for herself.

When he seemed to finish reading, he still didn't quite register how close she was, but only muttered in fascination. "Didn't know that…"

"Know what?"

He cocked his head. "It says that these ruins shouldn't even be here. It's a marvel to archeologists that it could have lasted on these cliffs for so long. Ancient folklore was that the stones were enchanted."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" he reached a hand out and reached his thumb over one of the raised letters on the sign. "I never thought this place would be that interesting."

"You mean you've never actually been up here?" Arya asked with a surprised chuckle. When he nodded in affirmation, she asked, "Why's that?"

He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Dunno. Guess I never had a good enough reason to."

"Well, now you're here." Arya said firmly, grabbing his elbow to drag him away from the sign.

Gendry let out a surprised grunt. The sound echoed off of the stone walls and turned the heads of the few other sightseers who were milling about. "Oi! What are you up to?"

"Making sure you explore every inch of this place with me!" she replied with an excited smile. 

"Woah!" He dug his heels into the soft mud, bringing her to a halt as well. "If I promise to accompany you, milady, then you have to promise to let me read as many plaques as I want."

Arya narrowed her eyes as she stepped a little closer. "I have a feeling that I'm going to regret that."

************************************************************************

A cold breeze hit her face the second they rounded the stone doorframe. A brief glance at the plaque told her that this had been the Lord and Lady's quarters, and it sat in the only portion of the ruins that still retained all of its walls and ceilings. Arya turned her head up and around at the large chambers that they now stood in. It was very easy to imagine this place as belonging to someone near royalty.

While Gendry stopped to read more, Arya made for the open balcony that was responsible for the wind kept her arms right against her body. Looking over the side offered her an unfettered view of the wide open sea, still thrashing about from the brisk winds that carried the rain clouds along overhead.

"How would you like to wake up each morning to a view like this?" she asked, only to be met with silence yet again. It surprised her, though, to turn around and find Gendry not reading the sign but looking straight at her. 

"It'd be nice." he finally replied after she shot him a quizzing look, and the look in his eye coupled with the way the breeze tousled his hair made her suddenly feel exposed in a very good way. "Although I'm sure I wouldn't take to it as well as you would, milady."

Arya just rolled her eyes and moved to then back around.

"Would milady like her supper now?"

She laughed at the low bow he gave. "Gendry, stop." 

"Just doing my job, milady. I'm only a lowly stable boy after all."

"And what would a stable boy be doing bringing a lady her supper?"

Gendry shrugged. "Maybe everyone else was sick."

"Or maybe he's the only one that the lady can tolerate." Arya said with a smirk, and relished the adorable gleam that came to his eye.

************************************************************************

Arya had finally left Gendry behind as he read something about the cattle that was kept there at one point or another, and she was half tempted to hide from him in one of the many empty rooms that they had passed, when she caught a glimpse of a modest structure that sat away from the main buildings. The sky had just then opened up for yet another drizzle when she ducked inside of it.

She didn't have to look at the sign by the large open doorway to know that this was the castle's smithy. Although one wall stood half crumbled with age, and the dirt floor long vacant of any crafting implements, it was clear where the large forge had been across the far wall. Arya closed her eyes and for a brief moment she swore that she could still smell the soot and tang of hot metal in the air.

Walking slowly across the empty space gave her an odd feeling; it wasn't a bad feeling, but one that she couldn't quite put her finger on at the time.

Her head turned to the left to examine the crumbled wall when something caught her eye. It was down in the dirt floor, and she had to turn her head a few more times before she got the light to gleam on it enough to walk towards it and not miss it. By the time it was finally unearthed from the hard-packed dirt Arya had dirt under most of her nails.

But she also had her prize.

It was a button. Small, but intricate in its oak leaf designs. A part of her wondered whether it could have been made in that very forge. Another part of her wondered what actions or sorted activities could have separated it from it's garment…

It was stuffed into her pocket with the personal promise of cleaning it once they returned to the lighthouse. Then, the only decision would be if she should take it as a souvenir or if she should leave it for Gendry.

Leave. The word stuck in her head, not for the first time, and it left a sour feeling in her.

She wouldn't let it ruin her day, though, so she pushed the thoughts deep inside and stepped up to look out over the broken wall.

The stiff winds continued to churn up the water below them. White caps crashed against the age old stones of the cliff, grey clouds charging across the sky above. Turning to her right revealed a deep green in the landscape from the morning's rain. Rolling hills in the landscape soon gave way to the distant town. It sat peacefully, still the same as how they had left it, as though it was waiting patiently for them to return. But beyond it's buildings and quiet streets lay the water, and further out the lighthouse. Arya could clearly see it's beam from where she stood. It shone out in bold radiance, steady and commanding; just the same as it had on that night that she had crashed. She had never planned to stop at Storm's End, had barely even been aware of its existence on the map. Yet here she was now, and no ounce of regret could be found in her.

The unmistakable patter of the rain picking up soon broke her out of her thoughts. She subconsciously hugged her arms around herself as she leaned against the stone wall. 

"Fuckin' hells that's cold!" 

Quick footfalls and the grumbled exclamation heralded Gendry's arrival in the building. Arya turned to look over her shoulder and found him raking the rain out of his hair with his fingers.

"Are you done reading?" 

Yet again, no reply. Arya rolled her eyes. She already knew what he would be doing before she turned back around. Sure enough, he was staring hard at the plaque that hung by the doorway.

"Ah, this was the smithy!" he commented as though she didn't yet know. "I've always thought it would be kinda neat to take up metalwork."

"You should." she smirked, turning back to her view of the landscape. "It'd suit you."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. You'd look good banging out your frustrations instead of just sulking."

It was only a few moments later that she heard him come up behind her. Soon he was leaning against the wall beside her, arms hanging off the other side.

"I wouldn't mind living here." she sighed softly.

Her words seemed to surprise him, as though he expected them to stand in silence. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn his head towards her. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Arya smiled, still looking towards the town in the distance. "Even when it's raining it's still nice in it's own way. And when it's sunny then that's even better. I could also really get used to the whole 'only seeing everyone else once a month' thing."

"I'm….I'm glad." His voice seemed to lift a bit and he shifted a hair closer. "Glad you're happy here."

"All thanks to you." she couldn't help but to say, as cheesy as it sounded, and leaned over to bump her shoulder with his.

Gendry laughed through his nose, but said nothing, and soon they were slipping into yet another easy silence. It gave her a small measure of comfort to know that they were still themselves, even when they weren't secluded from the rest of the world. 

Gendry was easy. It was the world that she had finally placed on their unique dynamic that they had found together. Everything about existing around him was so effortless. Arya smiled at that thought, and used it to propel her next words forward.

"Just so you know, anyone would be lucky to have you too." She could nearly hear Gendry's smile beside her. "That other girl missed out. Big time."

"I'm glad you think so." His voice sounded small, but genuinely grateful.

Arya wanted to reach over and take his hand as he'd done to her in the car, but when she turned to look at him and found his face so close to hers...she did something better.

She kissed him.

The kiss wasn't anything like she had imagined her first kiss to feel like. It didn't make her toes curl or make her head spin, or even leave her breathless. But it did do something so much better; it left her with a beautiful warmth in her chest, one that grew and spread until it reached her face and made her smile like an idiot.

"What?" Gendry half laughed when her smile forced them to break the kiss.

She shook her head. "Nothing, just feels good."

Gendry sighed and she felt his hand gently hold the back of her head. "It does."

Their second kiss was even better, Gendry pulling her close enough that Arya wrapped her own arms around his shoulders. And the third kiss saw his lips parting just enough to dance his tongue gently across her lips.

************************************************************************

The small grocery store had obviously gone through several name changes in its lifetime, the lighted sign above the door showing faded logos underneath the current one. But Arya guessed that it had retained the same shopping buggies since the day it opened. At least that's what it felt like as she watched Gendry fight to keep the metal contraption on a straight path down the cereal aisle.

Her face retained a calm expression, she had always been good at that. It was a good thing too because her mind was still running amuck, and had been ever since they left the ruins.

**

_ "Did you really want to do that?"  _

_ Arya looked over to find Gendry standing beside the driver's side door, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he frowned at the ground. "Do what?" _

_ "Kiss me." _

_ She smirked and brushed away a strand of hair that blew across her face. "Of course I wanted to. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to." _

_ "You sure?" His foot began scraping at a chunk of grass that grew through the pavement. "You…. weren't feeling sorry for me because of what I told you? About that other girl?" _

_ Suddenly Arya did feel sorry for him….but not because of the reason he thought. No, she felt sorry because it was evident now just how little he felt that he deserved affection. It all made sense now, how he felt that he was destined to live life alone. She wanted to kick that other girl, her and anyone else who had beaten him down so low. _

_ The anger was what brought her to take the few steps it took to stand in front of him. Reaching up to place her hands on either side of his neck caused him to look up at her. "Gendry, I like you. A lot. You've taken care of me, and you've let me be myself, and you're the only guy who's ever let me be myself. That's why I kissed you." _

_ "Yeah?" he breathed through a growing smile, hands coming up to cover hers. "I like you too." He turned his head to kiss one of her wrists. _

**

"Wait, oatmeal is on the list!" 

Gendry's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she stopped to turn around, watching as he pulled a canister off of the shelf to place in the malfunctioning buggy. He then pulled the list from his pocket and scanned it over before shoving it back in.

"What next?" she asked with a smile as he stepped up beside her.

Gendry smirked down at her. "This." And he moved to place a gentle peck on her lips. "And now we need soup."

Arya couldn't help but to chuckle softly and leaned over to hook her hand under his arm as they walked. She had never had any of this with a guy, with anyone, and had nearly resigned to a life without it. It felt so good inside, so much so that she was almost expecting it to end at any moment.

It never did, though, for as soon as they turned into the next aisle over Gendry moved his arm to circle his shoulders and pull her even closer to himself.

"What kind of soup do you want?" he asked as they stopped in front of the canned soups. 

The reverberation she felt in his chest made her press even closer against him. "You know, you could always just get ingredients and I'll make the soup myself. That way there can be some leftover for another meal."

Gendry froze and stared off into space as though the thought had never occurred to him. "Alright. Yeah!" he finally said, and smiled down at her before leaning into another soft kiss.

Arya laughed as they parted. "Are you going to kiss me in every aisle?"

"If that's ok, yeah." he said in all seriousness.

"Of course." she laughed again and leaned up to press her cheek against his.

The ingredients were found for at least three different kinds of soup, along with everything needed for homemade pizza, lasagna, and baked chicken. When they entered the baking aisle Gendry was very curious as to the reason behind the cocoa powder that she sat in the cart. But, luckily, Arya was able to divert his attention with a lingering kiss and her hands pressed to his chest.

Finally, they had trekked their way through nearly every aisle of the small grocery store. When they turned into the last aisle Arya's face lit up as she was met with the wide variety of nautical themed souvenirs.

"Yeah," Gendry snorted. "I think all of the shops here have some form of souvenir. Helps make an extra buck from tourists."

"Do you ever have to deal with them?" she asked as they meandered among the model ships and small porcelain mermaids.

"Tourists? Not usually. Boats will come by for photos of the lighthouse. Sometimes they dock, but they never stay long. Just enough to have their picture taken beside it or whatever."

Arya nodded in understanding, scanning over the selection of t-shirts. Most had witty sayings like "Talk nautical to me baby." or "I don't give a ship." Suddenly, though, they were surrounded on either side by lighthouse themed wares.

"Gendry!" she exclaimed. "You need some of these!"

"And why would that be?" he asked, clearly at a complete loss.

"Because what could be better than to decorate your lighthouse with lighthouse things!" She grinned and picked up a windchime made out of sea glass with a stained glass lighthouse on top.

Though he said it softly, Arya could clearly hear his whispered "You're lucky I like you." as she put it into the cart.

Next was a fluffy blanket with a lighthouse printed onto it, then a lighthouse shaped candle holder. Gendry laughed hard enough that he nearly started to cry when she picked up the lighthouse shaped soap bar and tossed it in beside the lighthouse hand towels.

"No, I'm drawing the line at that!" He was still dabbing at his eyes with his sleeve when she pulled a lighthouse keeper garden gnome off of the shelf. 

To be quite honest, she could see it being Gendry in several years, with his long grey beard and knitted sweater and holding a lightbulb. "Ah come on! He can keep me company while you're working up in the lighthouse!"

He narrowed his eyes, but did nothing to stop her as she placed it beside the rest of their treasures. "And I suppose I'm expected to buy all of this stuff for you too?"

"Well yeah." she said as she moved to walk beside him again. "It's for your lighthouse isn't it?"

"Ours." Gendry grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "Our lighthouse, milady."

************************************************************************

Ours.

Arya ran the word through her mind as she placed the last of the canned goods in the pantry. Gendry had always made her feel welcome here, but that had been the first time that he had referred to this place as being equally hers. 

Being hers meant living here. Being hers meant being his as well. Did she want that? Gendry was certainly good to her, very good in fact. Better than she had ever been treated by someone who wasn't family.

"Hey what was this cocoa powder for again?" he asked behind her.

Arya turned around, finding him holding up with a questioning look that she couldn't avoid. So she smiled and stepped closer before pulling the slip of paper out of her pocket. "I asked nicely and Marya parted with her secret."

She handed him the paper, which he quickly snatched up and read over. If she had known what would come next she would have prepared herself better, because as soon as Gendry saw what it was his arms were around her in a solid embrace.

"You're amazing." was all he had time to whisper before kissing her.

Arya felt her breath catch at the way he slid his lips over hers, and lightning struck through the entire left side of her body when he pecked kisses along her jaw before burying his face in her neck.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say that I've anxiously waited for this chapter just as long as you all have! Finally!


	10. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest apologies for the time it took to post this! The adjustment of going back to work, as well as other life changes, as left me with very little muse. But hopefully I can slowly move back to regular postings!

The front door slammed shut and Arya closed her eyes in utter annoyance. It was too early for this.

Gendry, on the other hand, seemed not to think so because he proceeded to storm through the house and into the kitchen.

"Fuckin' hells." he grumbled, the loudness causing Arya to wince as her mind still scrambled to wake up.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she pulled out the coffee pot to inspect it. Sure enough, Gendry had left only a light glazing at the bottom of the glass pot. A breath was forced out of her nose before she dove into the cabinet for the coffee grounds.

"Fuckin' stupid company and their fuckin' stupid policies. Won't be getting another order from me!"

"Gendry, what on earth are you talking about?" she groaned, voice still weak from sleep.

"So stupid…" 

Arya finally turned around to see that he had sat himself at the table. Slumped down in the chair, his arms were crossed over his chest in an almost ridiculous pout. If he hadn't already annoyed her, she would have found it halfway cute. Instead she just glared at him in near contempt. 

Her gaze was maintained until he finally looked up. "What were your plans for lunch?"

Arya set her jaw and turned back around. She'd had quite enough. It took only a few moments to pull out a plate from the cabinet and dump the used coffee grounds into it. Gendry's confused question of "Arya, what the…" came as she walked over to the trash can and pulled out the egg shells from his breakfast. Then, turning back around to lock eyes with him again, she dropped the plate roughly on the table in front of him.

"There. There's your lunch."

"Are you insane?!" he exclaimed and pushed the plate across the table.

"Not as insane as you for acting this way with no good reason!" she yelled back. "Now, are you going to actually tell me what's wrong, or are you going to keep acting like a four year old?"

His face froze at that, but instead of calming right away he let himself slump back in the chair. "That part I ordered, the new lumen? It got damaged in the shipping."

"And they won't replace it?"

Gendry shook his head and reached up to run his fingers through his hair. "Shipping damage isn't a part of their return policy. And the year's maintenance budget won't allow for a new order."

"What are you going to do?" she asked. The air between them was already cooling, she could feel it.

"I could fix it myself," he shrugged. "But it'll take a day or so. And we still have loads to do on your boat."

_ 'Please don't work on my boat.' _

Arya felt herself sway on her feet. The thought had sprung to her mind without warning and left her grasping for context. But even as she scrambled for a hold on her own desires, Gendry continued on. "That hull needs a new coat of sealant, we can hang the door now that we have the hinges, the cabin needs to be checked for-"

"Gendry, it's fine." she snapped, almost in a yell.

Annoyance came through in his voice when he replied with, "What was that for?", and she looked up to see said annoyance on his face. Her own expression remained firm.

They held the gaze as the energy mounted yet again. Loathe as she was to let it happen, she was the one to break the moment by turning back around to the coffee pot. Again, it was too early for this.

She heard the chair scrape on the floor as he stood up, and then soon felt his presence close behind her. But as she scooped the fresh grounds into the filter, all Gendry did was place a hesitant hand on her shoulder and say "I'll be up in the light." before retreating from the room.

It hurt Arya to act that way, almost to a physical degree as a heaviness settled into her chest. She had entertained the idea of staying, especially when they had gone to the town and had spent such an amazing day there. And she had also entertained the idea of what would happen when she left, how she would one day recount her adventures to her grandchildren and tell them of the brief fling she had with a broody lighthouse keeper who had been her first kiss. 

But this wasn't just a fling, this was Gendry, the same man who had accepted her full stock for everything that she was; and this was the first time that she had felt herself actively wishing to stay with him. 

The thoughts that swarmed through Arya's mind plagued her throughout the day. She ended up skipping breakfast, and slipped out to her dock to sit when Gendry came in for lunch.

As she watched the white caps roll along the sea, she let her mind explore all of the reasons why she should leave: that she had a family, that she hadn't finished the grand trip that she had set out to make, that she had already made plans for when she finally returned home.

But then, as the hours stretched on and the ocean turned dark with shadow, she began to explore the reasons that she should stay: that she had actually thought very little of her family since arriving, that finishing her trip didn't matter as much as it had before, that all of her past plans seemed dim in comparison to the potential future with Gendry. 

That thought made her smile despite the cooling winds that whipped around her. This could be her life, here in a place where she felt needed. She could even have a new family, with Gendry and Davos and Marya. This could truly be her home to care for, not just a house where she does chores out of obligation. It even made her laugh to herself when she thought of making good on her promise to return to the bookstore cats.

It was then that Arya really felt that she had made up her mind. She stood confidently and began her walk back up to the house. Skipping lunch meant that she couldn't trust the rumbling in her stomach to tell her how late in the day it was. But before she could peek inside the house to look for Gendry, she heard a rhythmic banging inside of the shop.

She opened the door to find him standing by the workbench. He had a hammer in hand and was continuing to administer slow forceful blows onto what must have been the broken part. The sight of him in an old t-shirt told her that he had more than likely been hard at work for a while, long enough to forgo the flannel button up that he had been wearing. The muscles in his shoulders and arms flexed and tensed with each motion, making her hesitate just a moment longer before she spoke up.

"See, told you that you should take up metalworking."

Gendry looked over his shoulder just enough to acknowledge her. He seemed to pause for a moment then, but finally set down his hammer and turned to face her. 

  
  


************************************************

Rain seemed to be the constant soundtrack to her life now. Laying in bed that night, the midnight rainstorm that had blown in lulled Arya's mind into an in-between zone. It was a place where anything was possible and ready for her to grasp. This included the ability to easily say what she felt.

The memory of how she had botched it all made her clench her eyes shut against the dark room. He had been right there in his shop, a captive audience for every word that she had rehearsed on the way up from the dock. But looking at his set face and pondering eyes, the only words that she could muster were "I'm sorry I blew up at you."

And when he replied with "That's ok. I'm sorry I acted like that.", she nodded and promptly turned to leave.

Even during supper they had kept their distance, picking at the leftover pizza until Arya had silently dismissed herself to the bedroom. She couldn't bring herself to do it, to say what was in her mind and heart. It was something that she cursed herself for endlessly.

She would have thought him asleep by then, but as she lay there with her thoughts Gendry's muffled cough from the living room told her that she wasn't the only one going without sleep. Suddenly she missed him. They had gone without contact the entire day, and the realization of this made her ache to be close to him all the more. 

As the rain died down outside, she found her feet dropping down to the cool floor. It was stupid, and she told herself that she shouldn't expect much at all, but something within her wanted to see him all the same. Arya pulled the door open to see the soft glow of the lamp radiating down the hallway. Walking slowly, she watched as more of the living room came into view. 

Gendry seemed to be just as awake as she was, she found when he came into view. Wearing only his signature sleeping pants, he looked up at her from the hardcover book that he had been reading. The lamp made a soft glare on his reading glasses, but even through it she could see the warmth in his look.

"Can't sleep either?" he finally asked, setting his book down on the couch beside him.

His words seemed to be all that her confidence needed to move her forward. Arya only nodded and stepped over, taking her seat on the opposite side of him from his book. She had expected that he would be at least cordial, perhaps even more so, but it was almost a shock when he scooted closer to her until their arms were touching. 

"I missed you today." His soft voice filled her head as a large hand covered her knee.

She wasn't even sure if she was ready for any further contact, but the tenderness that he was displaying had caused her eyes to well up and she didn't know if she could handle him seeing that. So, she ducked herself over and pressed her cheek to the warm skin of his chest. Her arms locked tightly around his chest as his did the same around her shoulders.

The air in the room changed drastically after that. It was as if an ugly painting had been removed and then replaced by a lovely potted plant. They should have never been upset at each other, she told herself as the stinging in her eyes continued. This was where they belonged: right here, anchored against each other.

"Are you alright?" he asked into her hair. "Was it something I did?"

Arya shook her head as much as the proximity would allow. "No, it's just me. Just...a lot on my mind."

She felt him nod. "I'm here if you need to talk. And I'm sorry again for being a jerk."

"I'm sorry too." Nodding as well, she closed her eyes and breathed in the mild scent of him. "It's...hard for me to say things sometimes, if I think that it'll cause problems."

Gendry only rubbed his hand on her shoulder, but she also felt his body tighten against her. She took in a steady breath. "I've been thinking a lot about when I leave here."

Again, he replied with a tense silence.

"I know that I haven't mentioned it much."

"Yeah, I know." he finally agreed.

"But now I know why." The words threatened to stick in her mind, but she willed herself forward. "I want to stay here."

Arya opened her eyes to look up at him, but she never made it that far because Gendry's strong arms had scooped her up and lifted her into his lap before she could process anything.

"You…" He closed his mouth and swallowed. "You'll stay?" It was both heartbreaking and endearing to see the hesitant hope that was slowly spreading over his face. Still wearing his glasses, his eyes locked with hers , and for a moment it almost seemed as though he was searching for something in her.

Arya smiled warmly as she replied, "I'll stay."

Gendry let out something between a laugh and a sob before his lips were firmly on hers. Arya sighed into him and pressed her palms into his shoulders. It felt like a light had been turned on in her life, like a great mystery had been revealed. She finally knew where she was supposed to be, and she finally had someone to be with. 

The hair around his mouth and chin chaffed her face in the most wonderful way, and she found her hands wandering up to take hold on either side of his neck. When his tongue slipped out to run along her lips, she quickly moved her own out to meet it. The new sensations it brought on left her scrambling to commit it to memory, everything from the distinct taste of his mouth to the texture of his tongue.

"You'll stay." he repeated against her lips.

"I'll stay." she nodded, though her words soon became a soft sigh when Gendry slid one of his hands up her back to rake through her hair.

It all felt so perfect, so warm. Her skin felt energized wherever his hands touched her. Gendry's other hand, which had been secured onto her lower back, removed itself to take off his glasses. When it returned to her, however, it was to rest on her hip. Arya had been focused primarily on the push and pull of their lips against each other, so it nearly caught her by surprise when his thumb slipped up under her shirt to rub at the skin above her sweatpants.

Her eyes opened at the same time that his did. Gendry watched her through darkened eyes as he moved his hand up further until she felt every digit splayed across her bare side. If he was looking for any protest, he would find none in her. Quite the opposite, as Arya slid her own hands lower into his bare chest. As she did, her fingers caught his nipples, causing him to suck in a deep breath.

But it also caused him to shift under her, and she felt  _ him _ . 

Gendry noticed as well, and while his jaw flexed in a way that made her want to resume their kissing, he shook his head.

"No," he whispered in a voice that sounded far too forced. "Not tonight."

Before Arya could protest, before she could tell him that she had already made up her mind, Gendry slid her off of his lap. He kept her close, however, and reclined back against the cushions so that she could rest her head on his chest once more.

"I want us to do this right." he continued. "You're too special for me to screw anything up."

"Well what if it's me who screws it up?" Arya asked, doing her best to frame it as light-hearted. "If I recall correctly, I'm the one who-"

"It wasn't just you." Gendry interrupted. "I shouldn't have been so torn up over that lumen."

"We're off to a lovely start in this relationship, aren't we?" Arya looked up as she spoke, finding Gendry's smile beaming back down at her.

"Yeah, but if we can come back together after a fight this easily then I think we'll be ok."

A moment passed as they tested against each other, and then a few moments more. It all made her feel so warm and secure, so Arya's eyes had since closed with the warm comfort of him when she felt him turn his head slightly.

"He's looking at us." he whispered.

Her eyes snapped open to look in the same direction as him, only to close again in laughter. Through the doorway, she could only barely see the garden gnome that she had placed on the kitchen counter beside the sugar canister.

"I can't believe you got that thing."

Arya gently nudged her elbow against his stomach. "Leave Chester alone."

"Oh so he has a name now?" Gendry said in mock annoyance.

"Yes he does, as a matter of fact," she replied boldly. "He's an excellent listener if you ever need to vent."

Gendry grew quiet, arms still secure around her waist. "You been venting much?"

She immediately shook her head. "Not a lot, and not about you. Just...things that happened before. Family things."

He nodded and pressed his lips to her neck once more before loosening his hold. "I'm here, you know." he said as she turned to face him, because there's no way that she couldn't now. "I may not know what to say all the time, but...I can be a good listener too, if you ever need someone real to vent to."

Arya was shifting herself upwards before the words had finished leaving his mouth, instead occupying it in a deep kiss that left both of them dazed when they parted. 

"Thank you." she said softly. "I'm glad I have you."

"Same here." he smiled warmly. His arms had remained in their position around her waist and were now holding her firm against his chest.

"You know," she smirked. "We wouldn't have to keep him in the kitchen if he had his own garden to live in."

Gendry raised an eyebrow. "You want to plant a garden? Here?"

"I'm sure I could come up with some flowers and plants that do well in rain like this. It would even add a splash of color for all of those photo-op seeking tourists."

She wasn't sure why she felt as though she needed to justify her idea, because the entire time that she spoke Gendry held a gleam in his eye. Arya knew full well that it meant that he would give her the world if he could.

"We'll get the proper seeds ordered next chance we have." he smiled down at her.

Arya smiled as well and lifted herself up for a quick peck. "I promise, I won't rest until I make your life more beautiful."

"No, You already did that when you showed up here."

His words cut into her chest and left her heart wide open. It was the closest that anyone who wasn't her parents had come to calling her beautiful. 

Still though, she couldn't resist. "That was incredibly cheesy."

"It sounded good in my head…." he half grumbled as he averted his eyes.

"Oh stop, it was wonderful." Arya laughed and grabbed his head to guide his lips to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to discourage anyone, but this story still has several chapters left....


	11. Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I'm back to updating! I certainly didn't plan on the long hiatus, but work and kids and stress have been keeping me exhausted more often than I'd like. I really hope that I haven't lost anyone, and I really hope that you enjoy this chapter! It took me way too long to work out the bugs in it and get it to be how I want.

Rain. It was there nearly every morning when she awoke, and nearly every night as she drifted to sleep. Storms and waves had become a constant soundtrack to her life, and this morning seemed to be no different as she slowly began to gain consciousness amongst the quilts.

Quilts meant bed. Bed meant that she was not on the couch where she had fallen asleep.(Fallen asleep on Gendry, no less.) And that could only mean that he had carried her to the bed at some point in the night… 

It was as her sleep-addled mind processed all of this that she came to realize another thing: the rain that she had awoken to wasn't rain at all. It was the shower running in the bathroom. And it was at that realization that the lights finally turned on in her head. True, Arya had heard Gendry shower plenty of times since she had been there, but this felt so different, so much more intimate. They were together now. Her mind and heart was set on staying with him, and if she remembered the previous evening well enough, then he was just as set on having her stay.

Arya rolled onto her back and shut her eyes again, although instead of sleep her head flooded with restless thoughts of just what it was that Gendry looked like underneath his clothes. Or, more specifically, under his pants. The lighthouse printed blanket that he had covered them with on the couch was still partially around her, and she scooted down into it to catch more of his scent while she thought of strong arms and a line of black hair that led down his torso to…

The water shut off. Arya’s eyes shot open and she began to hear his soft humming as he moved about. 

Seconds later the door cracked open. The silhouette of his head poked into the bedroom, soon followed by the rest of him. Arya stayed frozen in place and hoped that he would think her still asleep, because in the dim light she could see that he only wore a towel around his waist.

He moved over to the dresser and began shuffling through the drawers, leaving his broad back facing her. She eyed the smattering of water droplets on his shoulder that caught the hallway light. It felt like a taunt, like a dare, to come over and wipe them away with her lips. Arya could smell his soap now, and she knew that it would be all the more concentrated if she was closer.

As her eyes slid down the valley of his back, he moved. Stepping over to the side of the bed, Arya quickly shut her eyes when he grew close enough to see. But going by sound proved to be unreliable, because suddenly his weight was dropping down onto the bed when she hadn't expected it. He shifted closer and she could smell the same clean scent that she had wanted to know more intimately.

"I know you're awake, Arya."

His minty breath puffed across her chin, and when she inevitably opened her eyes it was to see him leaning over her with a wide smirk.

"You got me." she smiled back, voice croaking from sleep. It was when she brought a hand up to rake through his damp hair that he leaned down into a gentle kiss.

Gentle, but teeming with energy.

Arya let her hand wander down his neck to his shoulders. She felt the water droplets there, and the intimacy of it made her tilt her head to deepen their connection. When he moaned at the action Arya felt it stream down through her body, down to where she was pressing her thighs together under the quilts. It wouldn't have offended her at all if they spent the rest of the day doing just that.

Gendry seemed to have the same feelings. The light dusting of hair around his mouth scraped quicker against her own skin with his heated movements, and soon it only took one pull from Arya's arms before he swung his legs up onto the bed. She moved her head in, ready for another round of feverish kisses, but Gendry surprised her by ducking his head down to kiss along the tender skin of her throat. Her gasp sounded loud in the quiet bedroom, loud enough to spur him onward. His wet lips left a cool trail as he moved downward, and his stubble continued to mark her in the most minute way until she suddenly felt the gentlest nip on her collarbone.

"Gendry…" his name escaped out before she had a chance to think, and instantly it felt as though her voice had broken the spell.

His groan vibrated against her as he pressed his head into the crook of her neck. Even then, he continued to spark her senses when his lips moved against her as he spoke. "Wanna do this right. Don't wanna rush your first relationship…"

His words from the night before came back to her mind as she brought a hand up to stroke his hair. He cared so much. It felt like a contradiction, but his willingness to take things slow almost made her want to speed it all up. 

"I want this." she whispered. It felt almost too much to speak at a full volume. 

When he didn't reply, Arya took it upon herself to convince him. Grabbing one of his arms, she pulled it from where it was latched around her and placed the palm of his hand firm on her breast. A puff of breath was exhaled hard against her neck and within seconds his fingers were flexing to squeeze her in a gentle massage. Even when she removed her own hand, his stayed in place to begin soft circles over her hardening nipple.

She heard herself sigh, and slowly rested her head back against the pillow, but the rest of her faculties were lost when he resumed the heated kisses on her neck and shoulder. Gendry pressed himself closer until they were nearly flush against each other. Along with his kisses and touch he began a steady pressure of his hips against hers. The unmistakable hardness under his towel did nothing to slow the racing of her heart when it pressed against her thigh, especially when his hand moved away from her breast and made to pull up her shirt.

"Wait…" she sighed, pushing on his shoulders and bringing an abrupt end to his heavenly kisses on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Gendry shook his head and scooted back. "That was too far, wasn't it…"

Arya didn't reply because she was already sitting up and pulling her shirt over her head.

The cold air of the bedroom hit her bare skin into a shock, but it was the way Gendry stared at her chest that caused the goosebumps she experienced. She did her best to sit still and watch him, waiting for him to make the next move. It took much longer than she would have expected, but finally his hand rose back up to cup her right breast. Carefully he weighed it in his palm before letting his fingertips explore around the dark circle of flesh.

A small part of her wanted to laugh at how gingerly he was approaching the situation. "You look like you've never seen a pair of boobs before." she finally joked, still keeping a soft tone.

To her utter surprise, Gendry shook his head.

"Only on my last girlfriend." he muttered, still spellbound. "But that was ages ago."

"Oh. Really?" she asked, despite the growing pleasure that his hand caused when he finally traced a finger across her bare nipple.

He nodded, and shifted closer to put his other hand to work on the opposite breast.

"Gendry," Arya half whispered, eyes slipping closed when he lightly pinched on the two nubs. "How many girls have you slept with?"

They sat in a long pause before he replied, "None."

Her eyes shot open. In the darkness, he was looking at her with an almost unsure expression. "Yes you have." She couldn't believe it.

Again, he shook his head.

"How many?" she insisted. "One? Two? Twenty?"

Gendry sighed, letting his hands and his gaze drop to the quilts they sat on. "I told you, none."

"What about your fian-"

"I never felt close enough to let it happen." he cut her off, pulling his gaze back up to hers as his voice took an insisting tone. "It wasn't something that I wanted to bring up before, but it was the final straw that made her leave me. We made out and all that, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep with her when there wasn't a connection. I'd hoped that getting married would fix that for me, but…" he grunted and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Arya."

He looked as though he was going to stand from the bed, but Arya was on him long before he could make much progress. She almost surprised even herself when she straddled his lap and held his head to look directly into his stunned eyes.

"Do you want to sleep with me?" she asked simply.

His arms around her waist gave her the answer before he even spoke. "More than anything."

And, with that, their lips joined back into a frenzy of kisses. There was no need to continue holding his head in place, but she did it anyways and melted into him as he held her just as firm. Skin on skin they sat together, lips speaking volumes to each other's soul. Their holds kept even when Gendry tipped her back and laid her back down on the bed, only then did he release his arms in favor of holding himself up above her, her hands sliding down his warm chest.

Yet again, it wasn't long before his lips were moving down her neck and onto her collarbone. Now, though, there was nothing stopping them from moving lower...lower….until…

Arya's mouth dropped open in a silent gasp and her hands instinctively went back to hold his head. The sensations of his lips around her nipple was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. It took away any thought of doing anything else, until the only thing left to do was float along on the waves of heat that flowed throughout her body. All too soon, though, his mouth was gone. But thankfully it was only to switch to the other breast and show it the same affection.

"I'm still not shagging you today."

Arya felt his words more than hearing them, as they were said with his mouth still half around a throbbing nipple. 

"But this is nice…" he continued, and let his tongue trace a slow circle around her areola.

"It is." she agreed with an exhale. "Are you going to let me return the favor?"

It surprised her when Gendry groaned. "We have to go." He sighed and moved to kiss her lips, and the return of his stubble to her face made her dive right back into another deep kiss. "We'll miss the sunrise."

"What about the sunrise?" she asked, eyes closed as she did her best to calm her heart rate.

"Wanted you to see it with me." He turned to press a kiss to her neck, and now it was her turn to moan.

"You watch the sunrise often?"

"As often as I can." 

He was nuzzling at her collarbone, and it took a moment before she found it in her to ask "Really?"

Gendry nodded, and finally made the move to separate them. "It's why I always try to wake up early. It was the first thing that I fell in love with when I came here."

"That's sweet." she smiled up at him

Gendry only smiled and stood before reaching over to pat where her legs lay under the quilts. "I'll leave you to get dressed."

Even after Gendry grabbed up his clothes and so thoughtfully closed the door behind him, Arya stayed in bed just a moment longer; long enough to close her eyes and process the feelings that were still coursing through her body. If she focused, she could still feel his lips on her breast. It was all so new, but so wonderful. And it wasn't until she was out of bed and pulling on her jeans that she finally placed what was so wonderful about it. 

She was desired. No one had ever desired her in the way that Gendry so clearly did, had ever wanted her and loved unconditionally without being a blood relative. Arya smiled at the revelation, and then again at the thought that the feeling was very much mutual.

When she finally left the bedroom to meet him, she was surprised when he wasn't in the house. Even stepping outside didn't show him right away, not until she rounded the corner of the house and spied him standing down on the dock. Despite the warm clothes she had chosen, Arya still hugged her arms around herself against the early morning chill and started down the path.

There was only just enough light yet to see her surroundings, but the look that came into Gendry's eyes when she approached was as if she had just stepped out in a silk ball gown.

"That's one of mine." he commented, hand coming up to smooth down her shoulder, over the knitting of his sweater that she wore.

Arya nodded and stepped closer until her arm wrapped around his waist. "Is this ok?"

The enthusiastic nod that he gave had her nearly laughing. Bringing his other hand up to hold her closer, Arya's eyes slipped closed as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for being such a guy," his words came out muffled by the sweater. "But it's kind of an ego boost seeing you in my clothes."

"Something you'd like to see more of?" she asked as her cheek rested against his head.

Gendry only sighed and held her closer. Welcoming not only the warmth, but the closure as well, Arya pressed herself even tighter to him. "Someone's clingy."

She meant it as a honest joke, but immediately Gendry began to loosen his hold. "M'sorry." he muttered. "It's...just been so long since I've been able to touch someone."

Her heart nearly broke to hear that, and he was pulled back into her embrace. "Don't be sorry." She shook her head as she pressed it against his chest, and she could have sworn that his following hug was even tighter than the one before. "You mean to tell me that you haven't been meeting anyone else since you moved here?"

He shrugged and gave a low chuckle that she felt against her cheek. "Who do you think would I be seeing? I live in a lighthouse on an island for heaven's sake!"

When they finally did separate, it was for him to guide her down to sit on the cold planks.

As expected, the sky was blanketed by grey clouds. But even still, far off on the horizon where the clouds couldn't reach, a bright golden glow could be discerned. Arya fixed her eyes on it and leaned back against where Gendry had placed himself. The waves that had become a constant soundtrack to her life lapped around them, filling their ears with a peaceful white noise.

"Arya," Gendry finally started after what seemed an hour of silence. "I know you said that you want to stay here, but….if you ever want to leave, I won't stop you. Please don't stick around just on my account."

"Thank you." she whispered. Tilting her head back against him caused him to drop his own down to rest his chin on her shoulder.

Slowly, like a gentle tide coming in, the sky began to grow lighter above them. With the rising sun came new definitions to the clouds, leaving Arya to watch in wonder at the changing mood of the atmosphere.

"Those first days that you were here, do you remember how I said that maybe there was a reason you wrecked here?" he spoke again, a sort of amusement in his voice.

It sounded familiar, and Arya nodded.

"Maybe," he paused and took in a deep breath. "Maybe the reason was us."

Arya closed her eyes against the tears that were rising. Gendry felt stiff behind her, as though he was expecting something negative, but Arya sat still in his arms and let him hold her tight.

"I think so too." she said once the tears were under control. As he pressed his face to her neck, she brought a hand up to hold his head even closer.

That's how they stayed until long after the sun had risen and the day had begun its course…... until they spied Davos' boat making its way across the water.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

_Arya,_

_I'm hoping that this letter will still reach you in Storm's End. If not, then I hope that it is because you are on your way home._

_After hearing of your living arrangements and the wreckage of your highly expensive boat, I can only say that I am very disappointed in you. A sailing trip around the world is something that I don't approve of, but it sickens me to no end to hear that you're staying with an unmarried man in a hovel lighthouse. Your father is worried sick over you, and I'm forced to continue making excuses for your whereabouts at my book club. Dr. Luwin has even been forced to up my medication dosage on account of your actions._

_Jon is engaged and everyone was at the announcement dinner except for you. If you are not back home by the end of the month then I can make no promises on your inclusion in the wedding._

_I love you, Arya. But, again, I am very disappointed in your choices during this impressionable time of your life._

_Your mother._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here comes the conflict....


	12. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, everyone, for bearing with me on this! I definitely don't have as much time or motivation to write nowadays. We're nearing the end of this tale and let me say from the bottom of my badger heart that I love each and every person who has shown their love for this! It's truly been a wonderful journey for me!  
> And thanks, as always, to snapdragon76 for being my ever-patient beta!

Two days later saw Gendry leading the way up the spiral stairs while Arya eagerly followed. When he had asked for her help up in the light over their lunch of chicken sandwiches, Arya had jumped at the chance. She needed the distraction.

"It's a decent day," he had explained. "Bright enough out that I can shut down the light for the new lumen."

She wouldn't think about the letter that Davos had delivered. She wouldn't.

But, even after tucking the neatly addressed envelope away, unopened, in the dresser drawer, it still radiated its presence out to her. 

Of course, though, their plans had been delayed significantly when he had cornered her against the kitchen counter to kiss softly while his hands danced temptingly along the bottom of her (technically his) sweater. They had found themselves doing that more and more until there wasn't a place on the island that they hadn't found themselves exchanging tender kisses and touches; from the shop to the kitchen, from the living room to the dock… and in the dark of the evening by the bedroom door. Gendry had made it part of their nightly routine to dutifully walk Arya there and whisper a tender "goodnight," which would then lead into chaste kisses that increased in passion with each evening. She would have thought that he would eventually want to turn things more intimate, and she would have gladly let him in to find out what it entailed. But he never did. Never once did he move to take their kisses further than the bedroom threshold.

When she had last stepped foot into the lighthouse all that time ago it had been nothing but a curiosity. Now, though, it felt as though she were stepping into a sacred shrine. Up and up she followed him, dusty metal stairs drumming as they went towards the top of the light until she was finally stepping out into the low, dark mechanical room. Even though she had to pause for her eyes to adjust, Arya could hear Gendry moving around with practiced ease. 

There was a creak, and a thud, and then the soft hum of the mechanics slowed into silence.

"You've shut off the light?" she asked as her head turned around in the darkness.

"Aye," he replied from somewhere to her right. "It's bright enough out that it won't have a difference. Besides, don't want our eyes burnt out, do we?"

Before Arya could answer, Gendry was throwing open the trap-door into the light. Beautiful sunlight streamed down to fill the black space around them, momentarily making Arya forget the turmoil that had begun to simmer inside of her.

The letter from her mother still existed. The same letter most likely telling Arya that what she was doing at the lighthouse was ridiculous.

"After you, milady," Gendry said as he stepped to her side, voice breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh, thanks." She nodded and managed a smile.

After a pause, she walked past him to the short steps. Then, "You ok, Arya?"

She closed her eyes in an attempt to keep the feelings in her chest from coming to her eyes. "M'fine," she replied in an equally soft tone. "Air pressure is messing with my head." It was only a half-lie. She used to be so good at lying, but either she was losing her touch or Gendry was more observant than most because he let out a disapproving groan behind her.

But she ignored it and pushed herself up the steps and into the almost overwhelming glass chamber. Water and sky filled her view, and the sun on the water overpowered her senses.

Gendry was coming up the steps behind her, but she didn't turn to him, not even when he placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"Thought maybe we could go into town again this week? I'm sure Davos wouldn't mind it," he said as his other hand came up to rest on her opposite shoulder. "It's about time I got my hair trimmed."

"Gendry Waters, don't you dare." The words busted out with enough force that she felt him flinch behind her.

"Ok, alright," he chuckled when he had refined himself. "If you really don't want me to…"

"I don't," she said firmly, reaching back until her hand found his head to tenderly rake it through his hair. "It's the perfect length, just like this." And, for emphasis, she grabbed a handful of it and tugged ever so softly.

Another soft chuckle came as he kissed the top of her head. "Alright. For you, milady."

Arya felt her soul wanting to rest in the moment. It felt like perfection itself, with the sun and the sea and a wonderful man with his arms coming to hold her waist. It was everything that she had hoped to have. And that was the catch. That was what drove the wedge of melancholy into her vision. How could she have this life when she still belonged to the one she had left behind? Could she so easily trade a bedroom at Winterfell for her coat hung beside Gendry's? 

"Arya," he started, parting from her. "You haven't read that letter from your mum yet?"

She shook her head.

"I think you should."

He sounded so vulnerable, and when she turned around he wouldn't meet her eyes. Instead, he squinted at the sun's glare on the calm waves. "Yeah, you should," he nodded, blinking heavily a few times. "I… I'm worried for you. You’ve been tip-toeing around it for three days now, and I don't want you putting yourself through that kind of stress of knowing that she sent it. Just, go ahead and read it for me? See what it says and then go from there. It can be quick, like pulling off a bandaid."

Words began to build inside of her head, words that she wanted so badly to just say. But how could she tell him that all of those old reasons for leaving were creeping back into her? Arya looked up, finding Gendry's eyes with her own as the electricity between them began to build. But where before they would have awkwardly apologized and stepped back, now Arya leaned in readily as Gendry, being ever so gentle, took her lips on his.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The envelope sat in solemn repose on the dresser. Arya felt as though it was watching her in the same way that her mum would when she would come to scold her for a wrongdoing. 

Arya even felt guilty for opening the damn thing, as though somehow her family would know that she had, in fact, received it and read the words, as though she should now be guilty of not obeying its words at once.

She hugged the quilts tighter around her midsection and leaned back against the bed's headboard.  _ 'Jon is getting married.' _ The thought brought out a sad smile. He had brought a girl along the handful of times that he had visited before she left, and Arya hoped that it was the same girl that he was now engaged to. Ygritte was good for him. They would be happy together, and after everything that Jon had been through in his life, he deserved every shred of happiness that came his way. 

A knock at the bedroom door interrupted the stinging of tears in her eyes. The sight of Gendry's face poking through the cracked door soon followed.

"Alright if I came in?" he asked as his eyes darted around nervously.

Arya only nodded and scooted slightly to the side when he stepped into the room. In one hand he carried a plate with a toasted sandwich on it, which he placed in her lap as soon as he sat down beside her.

He pointed down at it. "Thought maybe you'd be hungry. You've been in here a while..."

"I am." She allowed herself to smile ever so slightly and immediately picked up the sandwich to take a large bite. It was the very definition of comfort food, the taste of bread and melted cheese filling her mouth. A light crisp followed by gooey goodness. So simple, but so soothing. Just like Gendry was. "Thank you," she mumbled out.

Arya could feel Gendry's smile at his success. "I may not be an amazing cook like you, but I can make a decent toastie when it counts."

"It's perfect," she said in all truth, taking another bite. "What time is it?"

"Nearly three."

So that explained her sudden hunger at the offer of food. As soon as she had gained the courage to open the envelope, she had read the message within nearly enough times to memorize the words written in the very precise hand of her mother. And that had then been followed by a good cry while she felt like a child who was being ordered to come home.

"Jon's getting married."

"Oh yeah?" Gendry responded immediately, as though he was waiting for her to mention the letter. "He's...your cousin, right? But grew up with you?"

Arya nodded and took another bite to knock down the swell in her throat. "He'd like it if I was there."

She felt Gendry let out a deep exhale. "Yeah, I imagine so."

Nothing else was said while she finished the remaining half of her sandwich, but Arya knew what the common thought was: it's a new reason for her to leave. 

Outside the parted curtains a long line of marbled clouds trailed along a pale sky. It made her want to ask Gendry what he thought the weather would do. But instead, the pair sat in silence while she took the last few bites. There were a few crumbs that had fallen on her lap, but it couldn't have bothered her less. She simply brushed them off of the quilt and onto the floor that she had planned to mop that morning.

"When I was eleven," she began, even though she hadn't planned on saying anything. "we all went out to the mountains for a family holiday. I was so excited because we hadn't had one in a long time. But when we took our bikes out on the trails, all my mum did was yell at me. First, she said that I was too fast, then she said that I was going too slow. And finally, I took a curve too sharply and fell off my bike." Gendry's hand came over to gently rub her knee through the quilts. "It didn't hurt, but I still cried because it felt like nothing about that day was happy for me. My mum sat down beside me and hugged me, but all she would say to me was that I probably shouldn't be riding my bike at all...and that I should just wait at the car." 

Gendry hummed in sympathy. Arya knew that he could never relate, though. But that was fine. Everything was fine….

"Thanks for the toastie," was all that Arya found it in her to say when she handed the plate back to Gendry.

As soon as the dish was in his hand, he scooted off of the bed, mumbling out a "Sure." before closing the door behind him.

With the click of the latch, Arya sunk back down into the bed. She wanted to cry, her chest felt full enough to begin sobbing at any moment, but it never came. Instead, she stared at the small chip in the wooden windowsill while her mind raced with the endless possible futures ahead. She had told him that she wanted to stay, she had been ready to stay. Nothing would have made her happier than to be with him for the rest of her life.

But...

If she stayed, she had Gendry.

If she left, she had a shred of her mum's approval.

If she stayed, she had days of peacefully caring for this beautiful place and nights spent warm and safe by his side.

If she left, she would see Jon standing at the altar with both tears and a smile on his face while his love walked down the aisle. She could go back to school, find a job that she loved.

If she stayed….

If she left….

Thoughts blurred together as she closed her eyes. This choice wasn't what she wanted. It felt too difficult, too overwhelming. She wanted someone else to decide it for her, even though she knew full well that it was hers alone to choose. And Gendry would accept it either way; that almost made it harder. He wouldn't keep her, wouldn't beg her to stay.

_ 'He'd stand at the dock and watch you go. Mum didn't even do that.' _

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It was over an hour later, when harsh winds began to drive against the sides of the house, that Arya pulled herself from the bed. Aside from the creaks and groans of the structure, the house was silent as she walked from the bedroom to the living room. The lights remained on, but Gendry was obviously not in. When she stepped into the kitchen for a sip of water there was a note held onto the fridge by the little lighthouse magnet that she had picked out in the town, informing her that Gendry would be in the shop if she needed anything. It was a simple message, simple like the way he always spoke, but he had ended it with an X and an O. Arya pulled it down from the fridge and laid it on the counter in front of her. It seemed as though she looked at it for as long as she had her mother's letter, even though the two couldn't have been more different from each other. Before she even knew what she was doing, Arya was slipping on her boots and stepping outside.

The wind blew harder than she had expected, and its sharp sting on her arms made her wish that she had thought to put Gendry's sweater back on. But she pushed on and quickened her feet to move back to the shop. 

The bright fluorescent lights inside clashed with the darkening sky overhead. It would rain, possibly storm even, and it matched very well with the thoughts and feelings that were swarming around inside of her. But it all came to a head when she saw what Gendry was doing.

He was working on her boat again.

"You're finishing it," she spoke, making him freeze in place where he knelt beside the boat.

"Yeah, I am," he said in a deep voice that told her that more was going on inside of him that she couldn't see.

"Why?"

His hand that held the battery-powered drill dropped to his side as the rain began to drop hard on the metal roof.

"Neither of us have stepped in this shop in days." Arya's jaw flexed, tears building in her eyes. "Why now, Gendry?"

"Because you're going to go," his deep voice came again, though he kept his eyes fixed at the wooden hull in front of him. "You told me that you'd stay, but now you have to leave."

"Do you want me to go?" Arya raised her voice, enough to make him snap his head up to look at her.

"Of course I don't," he growled through a clenched jaw. "You're the best fuckin’ thing that's happened to me since I came here."

"Then why are you fixing my boat?" Before he could open his mouth to reply she was talking again. "You want me gone. Now that there's a good enough reason for me to go you're going to kick me off like a damaged boot!"

"You have a family, Arya!" he yelled, throwing down the drill in a way that surely damaged it. Suddenly he was on his feet, stalking slowly towards her with a finger pointed out. "I told you, I won't make you stay here! They want you back: your mom, your brothers, all of them. You belong with your family, and I belong here." His bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. A tear dropped down his cheek. "I don't have a family that wants me back. This is where I belong."

He never moved away as Arya stepped slowly towards him. Aside from the building storm outside, not a sound was made as she looked up into the glassy blue eyes above her. A hand was raised to cup his face, and he instantly pressed into it.

"I can be your family," came her soft reply.

Gendry's arms coming around her nearly threw her off balance, but he held firm as he pulled her against himself and pressed his face into her shoulder.

"Gendry," she said into his ear as her tears came down. "You said it yourself, the reason for all of this was us. They'll always be my family, even my mum, but I want family to mean you too."

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More tears had come, and then Gendry had left her in the shop with a tender kiss, one that she could still feel on her lips as she looked over her boat. 

It was nearly finished. He had worked a miracle before her very eyes. With the right winds, it could take her back home with plenty of time to spare before the wedding….

Slowly, she backed up towards the door, giving her  _ Direwolf _ one good lookover before shutting off the light switch.

The storm had continued to build outside, and when she opened the door her face was instantly hit with a wall of hard rain. The scene before her almost felt surreal: lightning illuminating the angry sea around her, thunder pounding through the air and into her body. A light shone out through one of the house windows, but with yet another lightning strike against the waves, the house turned dark.

Arya took in a deep breath. Then another. She was sure there hadn't been a storm this bad since the one that had put her there. Holding in her third deep breath, she finally made the short run for it. Not even halfway to the house and she had already been soaked. Her boots splashed in the saturated ground, sending water up over the top and down into her socks. Once, she nearly slipped in the thick mud but caught her balance in time to swerve up to the door that flung open as soon as her hand touched the wood. Suddenly, Gendry's hands were grabbing her and pulling her into the safety of the small dark house with a mumble of "Thank the gods you made it."

The two of them chuckled softly when her feet stumbled. Steadying herself meant pressing her hands to his chest. His bare chest. 

"Ah!" he hissed and jerked away from her. "Cold hands!"

"Oops… sorry," she smirked and rubbed her hands together. She wasn't sorry, though, because as soon as he moved to step back closer she threw her hands up to land on his neck.

Suddenly the sounds of thunder and rain were accompanied by their laugher as Gendry tried to squirm away from her touch. She shoved her clammy hands against any bare skin that she could reach and relished the yelps and pleas that came from him until he finally grabbed her wrists and cackled, "Enough! I yield!"

The pair stood smiling like fools as they caught their breath. When his hands released hers, she instead placed them on his hips where he was still clothed. "Did the power go out?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "It does this sometimes if the storm is bad enough. I'll have to get out in the morning and check the connections to the lighthouse."

"So you just decided to walk around in the dark house without a shirt?" she smirked.

"Not quite. Got soaked coming in," he explained for the lack of a top. "But it looks like you did too."

As her eyes slowly continued to adjust to the low light around her, Arya watched as his eyes attached themselves to her chest. And, looking down, she found out why.

She knew that she was drenched, but her lack of a jacket meant that her t-shirt lay plastered to her, and the cool air had hardened her nipples so that they stood out for the gods and everyone to see. Only Gendry was there, though, and she very much wanted him to see. 

"Guess I'd better get out of these wet clothes as well," she stated, taking a single step back before pulling her shirt off.

Gendry's groan came instant, and his hands returned to their same position as that morning on her boobs. The feeling of his warm hands on her chilled skin made her sigh and lean into his touch. He must have taken it as an open invitation, because Gendry instantly stepped closer until their foreheads were touching, his hands gently fondling her breasts. 

"You know, I'm starting to think that I'm a boob man," he admitted with a smile.

"Yeah?" she breathed out through a smile of her own.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "They're so soft." 

A low noise came out of her throat. The cold of the storm was already long forgotten by the time his fingertips began rolling her nipples until they were so hard that it nearly hurt. But then he left his hold to smooth his large hands slowly down her bare sides.

It wasn't just the fact that Gendry was touching her that had the electricity streaking through her body, it was also the way his breath began to quicken when her own hands began to touch him in the same manner. Lightning flashed through the window to highlight just how close their faces were to each other. When Gendry spoke, it was nearly too low to hear over the following thunder.

"You've never done anyth-"

"Yeah, and you haven't either," she cut him off. "I do want it to be you, Gendry."

One of her hands moved up his torso to feel the dusting of hair that lay across his chest. She knew exactly what he looked like underneath his shirt, but there in the dark with her own shirt removed it still felt so new, so intimate to press her palm against his warming skin.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Arya nodded and tilted her head when his face turned to kiss her neck. "We can take it slow, yeah?"

She hummed as he moved his lips to the front of her throat. "As slow as we want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to cut it off where I did because I know that some people aren't big on smut. But I'll be posting their first time in the next chapter! A good chunk of it is already written, so look for it soon!


	13. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here it is, everyone.
> 
> The Chapter
> 
> I really hope that it does it for everyone! My goal was to write a first time that was realistic, but at the same time hot and pleasing to read. So let me know how you like it! I always want to make my writing better!

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Gendry's exhale on her skin brought a new wave of goosebumps to cover her. It suddenly seemed as though he had been overtaken with a new wave of lust; his lips turned more hungry in their journey along her shoulder, his hands held her hips steady as he pressed closer against her. 

Arya felt overtaken with it all. It was everything that she had ever fantasized, and he was all she could have hoped for and more. So many nights she had occupied her mind with just what it would feel like to be this intimate, just what she would do if she ever had the chance. And now it was right here.

"Gendry," she spoke out against the drive of the rain outside.

"Yeah?" he panted, his kisses still bringing her skin to life.

"Can I kiss you on the neck?" the words made her feel timid as they came out, but she wanted to do it so very badly.

Gendry immediately stopped kissing her shoulder, only to let out a deep sigh and move his face closer to hers.

"Kiss me anywhere you want.”

Nothing could have stopped the fluttering of her stomach when she leaned up to press her lips gently to his pulse point. It was only made even more intense when Gendry let out yet another sigh at her touch, and practically draped himself over her when she kissed below his ear.

It felt so surreal and yet so vivid, standing there in the darkness of the house with the storm raging around them, kissing Gendry's neck and hearing him make the filthiest sounds in her ear. He tasted of sea spray, just enough sting on her tongue to make her suck her lips around a spot near his jaw, and she was rewarded by the rush of pride in her chest when he gasped and held her closer.

"Am I doing this right?" she asked in a whisper.

His words sounded choked when he replied, "Arya, you're bloody perfect."

That was all she needed to continue. Her lips pressed endlessly to his neck in a way that made his breathing come heavier, and his grip grow firmer.

"You can hold me tighter, you know? You won't break me," she found herself saying.

"Aye. I know," came his hot breath on her neck. "Not even the waves could do that."

Then there was a heavy pause.

"Can I take you to the bed?" the request came out as nearly a plea.

"Of course you can." She tilted her head to kiss his earlobe. "It's your bed, after all."

"No, it's been yours for a while now." He managed a small laugh. "I just wanted to make sure I'm making this good for you."

Nearly as soon as she nodded, Gendry was hoisting her up into his arms and carrying her across the living room and down the dimly lit hallway. She only barely noticed the lone candle that had been lit in the bathroom, but she certainly noticed the large hurricane lantern that shone out from atop the bedroom dresser when they entered. Without much ceremony at all, Arya was dropped onto the bed atop the quilts. 

"Sorry. I've always wanted to do that." Gendry's cheeky smile looked priceless in the dim light of the lantern.

"You did it easily enough." Arya smiled back, scooting back onto the pillows as Gendry rested on his knees, hand smoothing along her thigh.

"Well, you're small enough," he shrugged. "Besides, it's not like I haven't done it before."

That's right. It wasn't the first time. Suddenly, her heart was swelling with affection for this wonderful man and all that he had done for her, all that they had done for each other. This was Gendry, the man who saved her. The man who took her in and became her friend. The man who had told her that he would happily date her when no one else had even looked at her twice. The man who was helping her fix her boat.

With her thoughts filling her mind, it was Gendry who made the first move, laying beside her almost as though he wasn't sure if he should. She let him, though, and let herself get lost in the way that his hand held her face when he kissed her lips.

He didn't stay there, though. No, Gendry couldn't seem to decide where he wanted to kiss first. One second he was sucking gently at her neck, and the next he was covering each breast with light little pecks. When he decided to move a little lower, Arya thought to herself that it shouldn't feel so heavenly, the scrape of his stubble against her ribs. 

But then his chin caught her in just the right spot, and her squealing laugher and subsequent squirm at the tickle caught him by surprise.

"I guess that's payback for the cold hands," he grinned up at her, his eyes catching the flicker of the lamp's flame. And when she narrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue, he quickly shot up to suck it between his lips.

Arya felt pinned to the bed by the sensations that were washing over her as he gently licked into her mouth. It felt as though she needed to hold onto him tighter before she drifted away in a current. And as if that wasn't enough, he then began to smooth one hand down her side until it was between her legs, caressing her above the pants. 

A low moan came from her throat. Her legs parted wider of their own accord. He had never even come close to touching her there before, and she suddenly wondered why they didn't do any of this sooner. The heavy heat of his hand seeping through the fabric instantly clouded her head, and she almost didn't hear his question.

"How do I do this?" he whispered, dropping his head to her shoulder. "How do you like it?"

Arya hummed, turning her head to seek out his lips. "I dunno. Just touch me, Gendry," she whispered, shifting her hips against his fingers that were moving up to undo the button. 

He was moving so slowly, though, and then her zipper started to get hung when he attempted to pull it down. She broke the kiss with a growl and pulled back, her own hands shooting down to assist. It was a struggle with the fabric still damp from the rain, and poor Gendry ended up getting elbowed in the ribs more than once, but finally, Arya was kicking off the pants and underwear from around her ankles.

Suddenly, she felt so bare but in the best possible way. Gendry immediately propped himself up on an elbow to take her in. 

She found that it helped to know that he could only see so much in the dim glow of the lantern and lightning flashes, but what he could see of her was obviously enough for him. His free hand moved to her stomach, rubbing her skin in soft stimulation. Slowly, though, he moved lower… and lower… eyes darting up to her face with each new progress.

"Is this ok?" he eventually asked while his thumb traced the line of her hip. 

"Yeah," she nodded, barely getting the words out before he began to explore her truly.

"You gotta tell me how, though," he insisted right before a clap of thunder. 

"How what?" She couldn't think a straight thought if she wanted to, not with his pointer finger tracing up and down her folds.

Gendry moved up and snorted against her cheek. "How do you like to be touched? How do you get yourself off?"

"Oh." That question finally snapped Arya out of her haze. It was something that she had honestly never given much thought to before; she had always just… done it. Suddenly, even more grateful for the low lighting in the bedroom, Arya bit the inside of her cheek and moved a hand down to join his. "Just, take it slow at first. Up and down, this way." 

She swore that she could feel Gendry's heart beat harder when she took his hand and began moving it against her. But his hand felt so much better than her own. It was bigger, longer, with just enough callous to his fingertips that it caused her to gasp in a breath when they brushed over her clit.

"And when I… get… wetter…" she made herself say. "Then start going faster."

With his eager nod, she removed her hand and placed it instead on his strong shoulder. It felt good, so very good, hot and strong and raw. And with her not having done this on her own since arriving on the island it made everything feel magnified by a thousand.

"Sometimes it takes me a while. You don-"

Gendry shook his head before nuzzling into her neck. "It's alright. I'll do this all night if I have to. Until you tell me to stop." Arya closed her eyes when he returned his lips to her skin. "Just relax. Let me do it for you. I wanna make you feel so good."

She pressed her head back into the pillow and tried to do as he said, to relax and surrender to the wonderful feelings that were washing through her body, to surrender to the soft bed beneath her and the warm body beside her, surrender to the sound of the driving rain against the window that made her feel as though it was a freight train rushing towards her along with her orgasm. It started off so small, the arousal inside of her, and she was almost worried that it would never grow. 

But then it did. 

Arya grabbed tighter onto Gendry as her climax streamed through her, arching her hips down against his hand as he brought her through it. And it was only when she sank back down against the bed that Gendry removed his perfect fingers.

She knew that he was watching her. He was lying still beside her, still propped up on an elbow. But she couldn't have cared less. Instead, she kept her eyes closed and relished in the weight that was beginning to settle into her limbs.

Outside, the storm continued to blow, though the drums of thunder didn't sound quite as near as they had before. Arya's heart, however, still pounded loud and proud in her ears. A part of her hoped that this was a small taste of what heaven must be like. It was one thing when she got herself off, but now that Gendry had done it for her, she wasn't sure if she could ever go back to being content with solo.

Finally, she felt Gendry move beside her, and soon after, he began to press soft kisses along her cheek and jaw. The act was so tender to her, and she couldn't help herself but to turn her head and make his next kiss land on her lips. Gendry gladly took it and pressed himself even tighter against her. 

The kiss deepened, but something was slowly pulling her out of her post-orgasmic haze: the hardness that Gendry was beginning to press against her thigh.

He was hard. He was  _ very  _ hard.

"Did that really get you going?" Arya pulled back just enough to ask.

"Of course it fuckin' did," he moaned, diving back in to suck on her bottom lip. "You were the sexiest thing I've ever seen. The sounds you made… gods… "

The words caught in her chest, and yet again, she began to feel the flames of arousal flickering to life inside of her. Here she was, naked as could be while he rubbed himself against her, and it was still difficult to comprehend that he truly did want her.

It filled her with pride, and lust, and  _ confidence _ ...

Arya pushed against his chest until he moved back. "Take your own bloody pants off," she smirked, bringing an even bigger smile to his face as well.

Without a word, he jumped up to stand by the bed, and the rain-damp garments soon dropped to the floor with wet thuds.

  
  


Gendry was beautiful.

  
  


He wasn't just beautiful, he was near god-like. Arya wondered for a brief moment if he looked anything like the Storm Gods who were fabled to rule this land all those millennia ago. She took in the sight of him; the dips and valleys of his muscles were all accented in the light of the gently flickering flame. Even the indented line on his skin, left over from the waistband of his boxer-briefs, looked ridiculously sexy. He stared heatedly at her as he took her in as well, and it made Arya's breath catch when his cock twitched.

Gendry stayed on the side of the bed, though, and the lantern light caught on the intense lines of his face while his eyes drifted over her body. "Fuck…." he let the curse slip out as he finally raised a knee to kneel on the bed beside her. She felt so desired at that moment, especially when his hand moved to stroke his cock a couple of times before he bent down to kiss her yet again.

It all felt much more real now, more heated. The way that his erection bumped against her stomach when he moved closer sent lighting shooting down between her legs. The rain was coming down hard against the window, and a draft made the lantern flicker. She wanted to feel all of him, so she did. Gendry had said that her boobs were soft, but as soon as her hand was wrapped around him, she could have said the same. So soft, but yet so firm and thick, and the slightest movement of her hand around him brought out pleading moans.

"Arya," he breathed out, bracing himself off of the bed so that she could continue.

"Is this good?" she asked, tilting her head to nuzzle his cheek.

"Mmmmm," was all she got in response.

The surge of confidence from the sound brought her to twist her hand around him, and then bring it up to swipe her thumb over the large head. Gendry slurred out a curse at that, and shifted so that he could place his hand back between her legs. A flash of lightning from outside, and she felt the charge in the air as his fingers danced over her sensitive clit.

"Arya," he moaned yet again. She swore he had never said her name so many times. "Can I?"

Even as she was nodding her head, he was already beginning to dip a finger into her. 

She had experimented with herself before, of course. A couple of personal toys had sadly been lost in the shipwreck. But even still, it was an entirely new sensation to have Gendry's large finger moving into her until his palm rested against her.

He said nothing, but the way that his mouth fell open when he raised his head to look at her spoke volumes.

Slowly, he withdrew his finger. "You feel amazing." And then he was moving it right back in. "I need you."

"You can have me."

"Do you want that?"

"I want you."

His finger crooked, and the angle made her gasp out his name. It was the only thing that she was able to say, however, because his mouth was immediately on hers. With frantic kisses and licks, Gendry moved over her, and their hips slotted perfectly together. Perfect was the only word for it, because it truly felt as though they were two pieces of a puzzle that were made to fit against each other.

Gendry must have felt it as well because it was several seconds before he looked down into her eyes as he experimentally rolled his hips.

Their unified moans were the only answers needed.

"You'll tell me to stop?" he asked, moving his hand up to brush some stray hairs from her forehead.

"Yeah." she nodded.

Gendry closed his mouth and swallowed. "I don't have any condoms. No need for them. But I'm clean. You know...cause I haven't…"

Arya shook her head and reached up to take her fingers through his damp hair, smiling warmly at the concerned look that had grown on his face. "Before I left home I got the implant. You're fine, just go for it."

The smile spread to Gendry, and he whispered the softest "Ok." before giving her a lingering kiss.

And then he was reaching down to place himself against her.

It felt so much more different than his fingers: thicker and harder. And yet, she still wanted it all the same. Maybe more. He kept his eyes on hers as his hips finally began to move forward. This was it. This was finally it.

It didn't hurt as much as she had heard. Sure, there was a tight stretching and a pressure that bordered on uncomfortable, but Arya kept his gaze and gripped his shoulders as he moved slowly inward.

Gendry, on the other hand, looked as though he was at a loss. Beside her head, she could feel his hand gripping the pillow tight enough to tear it, and the hand that cupped her cheek kept flinching. His teeth were also worrying his bottom lip at a rate that would have it chapped. But finally, he was in, and their hips connected once more.

Arya felt strangely present as it all happened. It had always been described as this amazing feeling, like being lost in a sea of pleasure. But she found that all she could do was to look up into Gendry's lust filled eyes.

"You ok?" he breathed.

She nodded and lifted her head enough to nuzzle his nose.

"You sure?" he still had to ask. "We can stop."

The tone in his voice told Arya that he really didn't want to stop, and neither did she. So, to prove it to his thick head, she shifted her hips against his. And it felt amazing.

Her eyes clamped shut and she sighed right as he cursed again, pressing his forehead to her collarbone with a breathy laugh.

"Arya...fuck...I'm trying not to come too soon."

His words brought her body to life, and she repeated her action, seeking out the amazing pleasure that was soon repeated in her. One of his hands came down to grab her hip, but rather than try to stop her he used it as leverage to pull himself back and then thrust forward. It felt even better. She wanted so desperately to take in everything at once, but there were too many feelings, too many sensations passing through her body.

Their start was slow, fumbled holds and conflicting rhythms, but it felt so right to Arya. The way that he filled her with each movement had her clawing onto his back and moaning his name. Gendry was more quiet, however, hands and arms still as taught as bow strings. Even when she would manage to kiss his neck he barely responded.

"I'm not…" he finally said, only trail off.

She understood, though. "Go ahead. It's ok."

He shook his head against her neck and thrusted into her just a little harder, causing her to gasp and throw her head back.

"It's fine." she managed again. "You got me off." Another hard thrust and she held onto his sweat-slicked shoulders. "I want you to come, Gendry."

It sounded as though he said something, but before she could ask he was circling his arms around her and increasing his pace.

Then his body went tense as he held himself to her. 

Arya wasn't floating in the waves anymore, she was flying above them. Skin pressed to skin as he kept himself against her, moving only his head so that their lips could connect. The warmth of them radiated out into the room around them as their kisses deepened, and then slowed down into gentle pecks. Gendry's hand had moved to smooth up and down her bare back, and she found hers doing the same. Eventually she was stroking along his hip and down his thigh. 

The passive sounds of departing thunder lulled them both into a weak daze. It felt almost like a dream to Arya, with the dim lighting and the heaviness in her body. But the dull ache between her legs and the cooling sweat on her body told her that the situation was very real. As their kisses slowed, Arya found herself looking into Gendry's eyes. She wished that she knew what he was thinking, because what she was thinking held a very real significance to her.

She loved him.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

It was later in the night when Arya awoke to use the restroom. How much later in the night, she wasn’t sure. The lantern was still burning, but the sounds of wind and thunder had passed completely, leaving only the constant patter of rain on the roof.

Washing herself with what little water was still left in the pipes, she smiled at the candle in the lighthouse candle holder, its light illuminating the small room in the same way that the real thing must be illuminating the night outside. 

Her business done, she softly stepped back into the bedroom where Gendry still slept in their bed. He had shifted since she left the room, and only being half covered by the quilts meant that his beautiful back and arse was on full display. The lantern continued to bathe the room in a soft orange glow, and it made him look entirely like a sleeping angel tangled in with the quilts.

Arya felt like the luckiest person on earth to be able to crawl back into bed beside this amazing man. She slipped herself under the blankets and pressed herself to his back. He only hummed, so she lowered her mouth to the back of his neck, kissing and sucking gently while her hand smoothed along the soft arch of his hip. 

But all of her tenderness was met with an angry growl as Gendry's still sleeping body jerked away from her and burrowed deeper into the covers. She bit the inside of her lip and moved herself as far away as she could while trying to push out the sharp pain that sprang up in her chest. That was alright, she supposed. It was stupid of her anyways, thinking that it would be ok to do that after their first time.

She turned away from him and slid under the blankets, pulling them up to her ears. But then she felt him shift. He paused for a moment before his movement grew closer.

Gendry settled against her back then, and she was instantly overwhelmed by the comfortable heat of Gendry pressing against her bare skin. "I'm so sorry, Arya. Suppose I'm a bit of a grump sometimes when I'm not all the way awake."

The scent of sleep still hung around him: slightly musky and very Gendry. She wanted to bathe in it, and he seemed intent on transferring it to her in the way he melded himself along her form.

"That's alright." she whispered with a small smile.

"Did you want to go again?" he asked, voice deep from sleep against her neck.

Instantly she nodded and pressed back harder against him. Gendry chuckled a low husky laugh at that, and to her it was the sexiest sound in the universe.

Arya let her eyes drift shut as she felt her soul come to life with all of the new sensations: the gentle scratch of his stubble against her shoulder blades, the hot puff of his breath against the moisture from his kisses, the way his hand couldn't seem to make up its mind if it wanted to fondle her breasts or smooth along her thighs.  His hips soon began a gentle roll against hers; gentle like how the rain had become outside, gentle like his hand that slid endlessly over her skin. She brought her own hand back, suddenly wanting to touch him in return, and splayed her fingers across the curve of his arse. A gentle press brought him tighter against her as her own hips joined in the languid motion.

It amazed her at just how beautifully their bodies melded together, even more so when Gendry suddenly reached do wn to grab her leg and bring it back to drape over his hips. The new position allowed his arousal to brush up against her own, filling the night air with a new chorus of moans and sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And how is everyone??
> 
> So there's actually some more sexy times that I had in the outline that's going to go at the beginning of the next chapter! I can't wait for you all to read it as well!
> 
> It's also looking like we'll be finishing this fic as projected, with one more chapter and an epilogue left...

**Author's Note:**

> No matter when you read this fic, please know that I will always love receiving comments! This library has no late fees!


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